Wasting All These Tears
by MyNameIsJoey3
Summary: Beca and Stacie meet Chloe and Aubrey at the activities fair on their first day at Barden University and Beca found herself very attracted to Chloe while Stacie found herself in the same predicament with Aubrey. A couple of months later, the two brunettes got their hearts broken when they find out a secret that Chloe and Aubrey have been hell bent on keeping. Can they move on?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry that the summary sucks. Anyway, I thought I'd give writing a try since this idea won't stop bugging me. As I mentioned, everyone in this story would be out of character most of the time so I hope you'd bear with me and that I won't get any of you angry.**

_**Beca's POV**_

"Beca, don't you wanna go walk around campus? You know, just to know the place better?" Stacie, my best friend, asked as she plopped down on the grass beside me. I snorted a little at that as I continued finishing my mix.

"You know that walking around isn't really my thing Stace. I'd rather finish this mix right now," I told her as I sat up straight for a bit and stretched out a little. Woah, how long have I been hunched over my laptop? My back is killing me.

"You know what? I could use a little walking around. I'll just pack my things," I told Stacie as I replaced my laptop in its bag and let my headphones hang around my neck. Stacie only grinned at me and helped me up once I was done with packing my stuff.

"Wanna check out the activities fair?" Stacie asked after a beat of silence. "You're planning on joining a club Stace? Seriously?" I asked incredulously. Ever since we were in middle school, Stacie has already found school clubs and organizations boring. It's a surprise that she's showing any interest now.

Stacie snorted at that. "'Course not. I just want to see if I could find a hot girl to hook up with. I have needs you know," she answered. I found myself shaking my head at that. Stacie really should stop randomly hooking up with women. She should've learned by now from the number of angry and heartbroken girls stalking our apartment.

"You should really stop with the hook ups Stace. I couldn't even count on my fingers the number of girls you have left broken-hearted. It might come back to bite you in the ass you know," I warn her. _If only I knew how right I was._ She sighed a little then frowned. Her eyes were glossed over and she had that lost look on her face again.

I slowly stood up and brushed off the grass blades and dirt that clung onto my pants. I offered my hand to my best friend as I turned to look at her. "Fine, I'll go with you. I could use a little bit of distraction," I tell her. She just smiled a wide smile, took my offered hand, and I found myself being dragged excitedly towards the other side of the campus. "You're lucky I love you brat," I told her, smirking, letting myself be dragged away.

Stacie only paused for a while to turn to me then she turned away again and continued power walking to the activities fair. "I love you too you jerk. Now less talking and more walking." I actually found myself laughing at that.

Almost half an hour later and I still haven't found any booth that interested me even a bit. Stacie had flirted with every beautiful girl that we passed by and not surprisingly, all of them flirted back, most of them even giving Stacie their numbers or a lingering kiss to the cheek. Even guys flirted with her, she's just not that interested. It's not surprising at all that she has that effect on people. She's beautiful, hot and she could be very charming if she wanted to. I would've dated her if it didn't feel like incest at all.

"Aren't you satisfied yet Stace?" I asked her, a little annoyed. "You have enough numbers to surpass every contact I have in my phonebook. C'mon, I'm getting hungry already!"

She rolled her eyes playfully and rested her hands on her hips. "First of all, you _**don't**_ have that many friends Bec. There're only a couple of stalls left that we haven't seen yet. Let's just finish this tour and then we can go to that diner you kept bugging me about."

Satisfied with her answer, I kept my mouth shut as we went through the last couple of booths. The last booth we had to go to belonged to some group named the Barden Bellas. There was a redhead and a blonde whose backs were turned to us and there was a rather plump blonde sat on the ground doing some sort of weird dance. "I don't think I'd want to go there," I told Stacie as I stopped dead in my tracks.

Stacie was frowning disapprovingly at me. "C'mon Bec, this is the last one. Don't you want to go to that diner later? I promised to go there with you _**if **_we were to go to ALL of the booths together. This is the last one Bec, let's get through with this already." And I found myself being dragged again, this time though it was against my will.

Once we were near enough, the slim blonde and the redhead turned towards our direction. I don't know why but my eyes were glued to the redhead before me, and when she finally did turn around, the first thing I noticed was how beautiful they were. They were so bright, so blue, and I felt like I can get lost in them forever.

The next thing I noticed was her smile. How it managed to light up the surroundings as her lips curved up and her pearly white teeth showed. Simply put, the redhead before me was gorgeously breath-taking and I felt like my breath was knocked out of my lungs. I never was a believer in love at first sight but I think that would change right now. I can also sense that Stacie was having a similar moment with the blonde before her.

At that same moment, I had the want to get to know the redhead better. It was like an urge was awoken from inside me that I had to comply with because if I don't I think I'd go crazy or whatever. If only Stacie and I knew that it was the day that our agony and heartbreak would begin, I wish I'd never wanted to meet the redhead.

If only I knew that the pain I'd experience with her would be tenfold of the brief happiness I'd feel with her, I wouldn't have approached the redhead like I'm doing right now, neither would I be saying "Hi" to her like I'm doing right now and I should've stopped myself from letting my heart fall for her right at this moment. I already know that I'm doomed because this girl standing before me already had me hooked even before I knew her name. Oh, how I'd come to regret all of this GREATLY later on.

**A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read. It's very much appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter. Again, I thank you guys for taking the time to read. Oh, and I forgot this in the last chapter, but Pitch Perfect doesn't belong to me.**

**MakAttack23****: I am a sucker for happy endings so yeah, there'll be a happy ending. Not without drama though. **

_**Beca's POV**_

(A few days later)

I abruptly stand from my chair as I heard Stacie sigh. AGAIN. She's laying face flat on my bed. Ever since we've met Chloe (the redhead) and Aubrey (the petite blonde) a couple of days ago, Stacie's been acting so down and mope-y and I have no freaking idea what to do since I have never seen her like this for a very long time.

"If all you're gonna do is mope around and sigh to your heart's content, you should've just taken them up on their offer of joining that a capella group of theirs," I told her as I walked towards the bed and plopped down beside Stacie.

"Pssh. I'm as comfortable with singing and dancing around as you are with other people being all up in your personal space. Plus, don't think I haven't noticed, cause I did, you were totes practically undressing Chloe in your mind when she was talking to you," she answered as she finally turned around to face the ceiling.

"I was totally not!" I squeaked indignantly. Stacie just laughed and I smacked her lightly on the upper arm. "Well, stop moping around, please. It's really freaking me out," I add, standing up, and walking to my dresser, I pull out a set of clothes.

"Hey, where are you going?" Stacie asked, sitting up on the bed.

"The lake I found near campus grounds just three days ago. You know . . . the one I was telling you about yesterday. I need to clear my head since I am having a hard time coming up with good ideas for a mix. You wanna come with me?"

"Nah, I'll pass. I'll just meet you at Chuck's diner later? I think I would like to sleep for a little while."

Finally changing into black tank top and a blue and white plaid shirt, I face Stacie and just smile at her in response. I only grabbed my iPod and headphones and I was off to the lake.

I like that place a lot. Everything is just so calm and relaxing and I can clear my thoughts whenever I'm there. The water's clear, there's lush green grass growing around the area and there are enough trees to provide shade without making the place look crowded. It's the perfect spot for rest and relaxation.

A couple of minutes later and I could already see the trees. I started to walk faster, excited to have a moment of peace and tranquility by myself. I was surprised though, when I found a person with a familiar mane of red hair sitting near the lake with her back facing me. I was about to walk away when she turned around and spotted me. The smile that she directed at me totally made me weak in the knees.

"Why're you leaving already? C'mere, I'm not gonna bite," she called out to me with that dimpled smile again. I was still standing there unsurely, mulling over the situation. It could be pure torture on my part to be so close to this amazing person. But I also want to get to know her better, to become her friend.

I looked at her eyes and again, I found myself being drawn to them. They were so clear, so blue, like the sky at that moment and they only reflected kindness that I found my feet involuntarily taking me towards her. Once I reached her, she patted the ground next to where she was sitting and I obliged.

"I see you've found my favorite place," she said once I was seated.

"Uhm, yeah. I just stumbled into this area when I was walking around three days ago. This place is so beautiful and peaceful that I couldn't help coming back," I tell her honestly, picking up a small stone beside me and throwing it into the lake.

"That's the longest line you've said to me," she said with a small smile. I just shrugged in response.

"You're not comfortable around other people, especially people who you've only met or are not familiar with. You prefer to be alone most of the times cause you like to get lost in your thoughts. You're all closed off because you're afraid of getting hurt. And something bad has happened in your past that you're having a hard time moving on with that is still affecting you up to today." She said all of this with a small smile on her face and while she was looking me in the eye.

She was totally right. I couldn't help but stare at her in awe because she can read me like a book. I was sitting there just staring at her with my mouth gaping like a fish's. She chuckled then bumped her shoulder with mine.

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out," she said with an apologetic smile. Finally shaking myself out of my daze, I shook my head gently.

"No, no, you didn't freak me out. It's just that, you made spot-on observations about my personality. How . . . How did you do that?" she chuckled again.

"Years of practice. Plus, I like to observe people and mingle with them. It's fun because I get to know different kinds of people."

"I like you," I suddenly blurt out. "Uh . . . I – I – I mean I like you as a person. You seem very kind and passionate. It's just . . . you're very admirable and – and I'm gonna shut my mouth now to prevent further embarrassing myself." I look down to avoid her eyes and fiddle the chord of my headphones.

She took a hold of my hands – her hands were so soft and warm that I felt like never letting go – and told me to look at her, which I did, almost painfully slowly. She was smiling again, though this one's bigger and in a way brighter than any of her other smiles. "I like you too Beca. I think that we're gonna be really good friends," she told me.

I couldn't help the huge smile that overcame my features. My chest felt so warm inside and there were like hundreds of butterflies rampaging in my stomach. She squeezed my hands again before letting go. I actually frowned when she did so. But when she scooted a little closer and laid her head on my shoulder, I breathed a sigh of contentment. I just let myself bask in the comfort of Chloe's warmth. We didn't speak anymore; no words were needed to be spoken between us. We just enjoyed the peace and beauty of the place in each other's company. I never felt more at peace my whole life than at this moment.

And I have never been more scared than at that moment because I was falling hard and I was falling fast for one Chloe Beale.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to read, review, favorite and follow this story. You guys are awesome. I wasn't even expecting anything from publishing this fic, so thank you so much people.**

**Oh, also, I have already written chapter 4, I only have to finish typing it, and chapter 5 is halfway through. **

**Pitch perfect and its aca-mazing characters do not belong to me.**

_**Beca's POV**_

It became sort of our thing after that day. We'd always meet at the lake once our classes ended and before the Bellas' practice start. We'll only be there together for less than an hour but those minutes are the ones that always make my day. Usually, we'd talk about our childhood and high school years. These are my favorite conversations because I get to know her better and I am opening up to her gradually. Sometimes, we're not talking, just enjoying the peace and quiet and each other's company.

"Hey." I looked up to see Chloe looking down at me with her dazzling smile, as always. She was holding a paper bag in one hand and two cans of coke in plastic bags in the other. She set the items in front of me before taking a seat on the ground to my left.

"What's this Chlo?" I ask her, reaching for the bag to look at its contents. "Well, I remember you telling me the other day that you love the burger at Chuck's diner and Aubrey for some reason cancelled practice today, and since I passed that diner on the way here, I decided to get us something to eat," she answered, flashing her teeth in a child-like grin.

"Thanks Chlo, that's very thoughtful of you," I tell her. I started to unwrap my burger and was about to take a bite when I noticed that Chloe hasn't even touched hers. I turned to look at her and found her staring at me with a small smile etched on her beautiful face.

"Is . . . is there something on my face?" I asked nervously. Seriously, this girl is gonna be the death of me. Chloe just shook her head and reached for her burger. We both ate in a comfortable silence, the only sounds around us were those of the wind rustling against the leaves and the water gently splashing against land. I let the calmness wash over me.

When we were done, I laid on the soft ground with my hands beneath my head. I was already drifting off when I felt Chloe shuffle beside me then I felt her head on my stomach. My initial reaction was to tense up but then I remembered that it was only beautiful, sweet, loveable Chloe and I let myself relax again. I even let my fingers sift through her hair. I heard her sigh in contentment.

"I don't like being close to people. I don't like being hugged or having my hand held. You know why?" I felt her shake her head no. "It's because I don't like being intimate. When you're intimate with a person, you begin to feel comfortable in their presence and you find yourself slowly beginning to trust them then, you'll be comfortable to open up. And when you open up, you give those people the power to hurt you. They can strengthen you or break you in an instant if they want to. And for me, that's the most terrifying. I don't want to get hurt because I've been hurt too much before."

Chloe sat up and I could feel her eyes on me. I let my gaze stay on the blue skies that reminded me of her eyes for a little longer before finally letting them meet Chloe's. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, but I could still see the admiration and mirth in them. She was so happy that I was finally opening up. That was all I needed. What I'm doing right now is the right thing. She laid down again, this time she rested her head on my chest and she had an arm wrapped around my waist. I put my hand over hers, tracing patterns on her soft skin.

"What about Stacie?" she asked.

"Stacie and I had been best friends ever since I can remember. Our parents were friends since college and we were also neighbors. We've grown up together. She always got my back. Whether I was right or wrong, whether my decisions were outright stupid, she always stood by me. She made me learn from my mistakes, but she always made sure that she was there to pick up the pieces after. I also make sure that I do the same for her. She's one of the most precious people in my life and I love her so much. She's my best friend and sister.

When we turned twelve, my mom and Stacie's parents, on the way home from grocery shopping, got involved in a nasty car accident. No – nobody survived. I was devastated. But, Stacie felt way worse. She just lost both of her parents. She could see her whole world crumbling right before her. Of course dad was also distraught. He took care of everything concerning the funerals. The three of us mourned for months on end. My dad was the first to recover though. He still had Stacie and me. He adopted Stace and devoted all of his love to us. Stacie even took my dad's last name and started calling him dad as well. Eventually, through the help of each other, we were all able to move on.

On our final year of middle school, dad had to move here for a better job opportunity. He's a professor in the English department. Stacie and I were on my final year of middle school and we didn't want to leave our friends. So, we stayed with dad's good friend until the end of middle school. Before we left though, a rumor spread about Stacie and I being gay. We were bullied. Even our so called friends turned their backs on us and started bullying us as well. It hurt like a bitch cause I thought they were my real friends.

I was in my sophomore year of high school in New York when I had my first girlfriend. I trusted and loved her so much, but she was a closet case. I found out she was dating the douche of a quarterback of our school's football team right after we were almost caught by her parents. She told me she was just experimenting with me. To say that I was crushed after that is an understatement. I had trouble trusting and opening up to other people after that. I don't want to hurt that way anymore."

I felt a tear slip from my eye as the memory of all the pain and suffering I had to endure washed over me. There. I just bared my soul to Chloe. I even told her that I am gay. I took a leap of faith and decided to let her in. I looked at her and she was looking back with tears streaming from her eyes. There was not an ounce of judgment or resentment in them.

'_Now, you have power over me. Please don't hurt me' _I plead through my gaze. She shook her head and kissed my cheek softly before nuzzling her face in my neck. I put my arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Never."

Maybe my inevitable heartbreak is my entire fault. Maybe if I hadn't let myself fall for her so hard, it wouldn't be so hard to forget her. Maybe if I didn't let her in, it wouldn't be so hard to let go of her. Maybe . . . maybe . . .


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So here it is, chapter 4, yay! Again, I am thanking you guys for reading, reviewing and following this fic. And for those people who leave reviews, sorry that I couldn't respond, but I always read them and they are always very much appreciated. This chapter's mainly Staubrey. Also, I think I can post chapter 5 this weekend. It's already done, I just have to encode and edit it a bit before uploading.**

**Pitch Perfect's not mine.**

_**Stacie's POV**_

It's been two weeks since I have last seen her. It's not fair that Beca gets to see Chloe everyday while I haven't even seen Aubrey once since that day at the activities fair.

I want to see her again, I want to be friends with her. I don't know why but with just one look, I felt this overwhelming need to make her a part of my life. And it felt so strange, I have never in my life felt a need as intense as this. I tried to forget about her, believe me, but no matter how I try, I can't shake away the thoughts of her. It has gotten to the point where her gorgeous hazel eyes and warm smile have invaded even my dreams.

I have an idea of what's happening with me. I'm not really that dumb. I just didn't believe in love at first sight until Aubrey Posen happened. She had managed to do the one thing that many people had epically failed at, she captured my heart without doing anything.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the professor finally dismissed the class. I glanced at the board and sighed in relief when I saw that I didn't really miss much of the lesson. Mr. Johnson probably ranted off about his life-changing experiences for two-thirds of the class period again. I quickly packed my things and practically sprinted to the door, finally taking notice of my hunger.

I was passing the chem lab on my way to the cafeteria when I heard a familiar voice. I stopped walking and strained to hear better. She sounded infuriated, she was talking in harsh whispers, but there was no mistaking that the voice belonged to _her_.

Suddenly, I heard a thumping sound so I quickly made my way inside the lab without thinking. I just wanted to make sure that she was alright. She was sat by a table, her face buried in her hands. She didn't even look my way when I entered. I noticed a broken phone near the wall to my left. This must've been the source of the thumping sound that I heard.

"What do you want?" she asked without looking up. I was taken aback by the harshness in her voice.

"Uhm . . . I heard a thumping sound coming from here so I went in to check. Are . . . are y-you a-alright?" I mentally scoffed at myself for stuttering and had to prevent myself from wincing at my own question. It was obvious that she wasn't that okay. Wrong choice of question, Mitchell.

She raised her head so quickly that I was afraid she would've gotten whiplash. There was a scowl on her face as she looked at me but unfortunately, her hands caught a test tube rack on the table and sent it, together with its contents and a few more other glass wares, to the floor.

I saw her body stiffen just before the glass wares hit the ground and the room was filled with the sound of glass exploding into thousands if tinier pieces. We both stood there, motionless. Aubrey was still in shock, but I heard the sound of footfalls quickly approaching the room. I don't want for Aubrey to get into trouble, I had to act fast.

I quickly pulled her to where I was standing by the door a few moments ago and quickly went back to the mess. I put my bag on top of the table and knelt down, gently picking up the larger shards of glass lest I have my skin cut. The head of the chem department, Mrs. Warner as I recall, burst into the room, panting. Her eyes widened at the sight, too many expensive lab equipments were broken into itty – bitty pieces.

"What happened here?" she asked in a high pitched voice. Aubrey was still in shock though so she wasn't able to respond. Mrs. Warner turned to me. I notice as recognition slowly dawned on her face. "Ms. Stacie Mitchell! What happened? Don't touch that! You could get hurt!"

I placed the shards on the ground again and slowly stood up, but my foot slipped. In order to prevent my body from hitting the floor filled with glass shards, I had to prop my right knee and left hand on the floor. I winced as the shards pierced through my skin. Mrs. Warner was beside me in an instant, helping me up to my feet. She looked horrified.

I frowned as I looked at my bloodied, and hurting, hand and knee. "It was my fault Mrs. Warner. I left a notebook here earlier and I went back to get it. I was already on my way out when my bag caught a test tube rack that sent all of these equipments to the floor. Ms. Posen came in when she heard," I lied.

"We'll talk about this later Ms. Mitchell. Right now, you have to go to the clinic to get those wounds treated." She turned to Aubrey who was finally able to recover from her shock. "Would you please accompany her Ms. Posen?" Aubrey nodded and retrieved our bags before leading me out of the room. I still heard Mrs. Warner call for a janitor before Aubrey and I were out of earshot.

It was hard to walk because one of my knees hurt a lot so I had to limp all the way to the clinic. I was surprised when I felt Aubrey wrap an arm around my waist and she slung my right arm over her shoulders. The smell of vanilla and strawberries instantly invaded my senses and I felt nauseous. Her warmth sent my senses on overload and my heart was beating a million miles an hour.

"You didn't have to do that," I hear her mumble. I just shrugged my shoulders. There's nothing I wouldn't do for this girl. The rest of the walk was spent in silence.

Aubrey stayed with me until everything was patched up. "I could uh, walk you to class," she offered, standing up when I walked to the bench where she was sitting. "Thank you for the offer but I'm afraid I have to decline. I still have to talk to my dad," I tell her, smiling a bit as I sat down on the bench. "Oh, I see. Thank you for covering up for me. And I'm sorry for being harsh earlier. I guess I'll just see you around. Bye Stacie."

It was a pleasant surprise that she remembers my name. That had me grin widely at her. She started to walk away but I still caught a glimpse of the small smile on her face. "I'll see you around," I muttered, thinking that she wouldn't be able to hear anymore. But, she stopped walking and turned around to look at me again and then she winked. She winked! I tried to fight the blush that I felt was creeping to my cheeks.

When Aubrey was finally out of sight, I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed dad's number. I sighed as I told him to meet me at the clinic. He asked why I was at the clinic and I told him about the incident in the chem lab. Although, the version that I told him might have been the same as the one I gave Mrs. Warner earlier.

The talk with Mrs. Warner lasted for about half an hour. Dad promised to pay for the broken glass wares and thank goodness I only got a warning. Once we were outside, dad told me that he was glad that I wasn't hurt that badly. He just reminded me to take care then he kissed me on the cheek before heading to his next class. He offered to walk me to the parking lot since my classes were already over but I refused.

I called Beca while I was walking to tell her what happened to me. This time, I told the true version. Beca asked me if I was alright, she sounded so worried so I told her that I was fine and all I got were only a few scratches. "I'm almost at the parking lot now Becs. Bye. I'll see you later." I waited for her to say bye back before hanging up.

I was almost at the spot where my car was when I noticed a slim blonde leaning against it. She was smirking cutely at me and beckoned for me to come closer.

"It's lovely to see you again Ms. Posen. To what do I owe the pleasure? And how'd you know my car?"

"I saw you get out of this vehicle earlier with Beca. Wanna go grab coffee? My treat, as a thank you for what you did for me earlier."

"I'd love to."

_That day, Aubrey and I officially became friends. That day, our coffee dates after class hours, just before Bellas 'practice, starte. That day, I started to fall even more in love with Aubrey Posen._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys, so here's the next chapter. I just want to let you know that the secret's about to be revealed soon. It may be in the next chapter or the chapter after that. I am honestly terrified about that though. I have no idea how you guys would react but I'm hoping that not many of you would hate me after that. Please be patient with me? Anyways, thank you all again. On with the story!**

**Pitch Perfect does not belong to me.**

_**Beca's POV**_

I sigh as I slowly stood up from my seat. Shouldering my backpack, I dragged my feet outside the classroom. This day felt very tiring. I had unannounced exams one after another. I want to spend time with Chloe at the lake so that I could relax, but Aubrey announced that the Bellas meet an hour earlier for practice because the competition was near. That means no Beca-and-Chloe time. I frowned at that. I felt my frown deepen when I remembered that Stacie still had class for another two hours.

I fished out my keys from my bag once I was stood outside the apartment I shared with Stacie. I was surprised to see Stacie there, sleeping on the couch. I entered and put my bag on the coffee table before taking a seat on the arm rest and just observed her. She looked really pale and tired. Is she sick? Stacie stirred in her sleep, she rolled over a couple times before her eyes slowly opened.

"Beca?"

"Hey sis. You look worn out. Are you alright?" She sat up slowly and scooted to the left side to give me space and I sat down beside her.

"Yeah . . . I just haven't had any proper sleep these last few days. I started working at the coffee shop near campus last week. I've been on the night shift so I only had a few hours of sleep since. Why are you here already? Aren't you going to meet Chloe at your spot?"

"I could ask you the same. Aren't you supposed to still be in class for another two hours? And no, Chloe has an early practice."

"The prof was absent. I used the spare time to get some sleep."

I didn't answer. I just sat there, my head resting on her shoulder. I wanted so badly to tell Stacie about the feelings I have for Chloe. I'm just having a hard time though. It's not that I don't trust her, God knows I trust Stacie with my life. I'm just really not good with opening up to people.

"I'm sorry Stace," I tell her after a few beats of silence. She turned to look at me with her eyes furrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you sorry for Rebeca Marie?" she asked, her bottom lip jutting out slightly in a frown.

"Well, Anastasia," – she wrinkled her nose in disgust once she heard her full name being mentioned – "I realized that I have been neglecting you for the past two months. I've missed my best friend, I've missed you," I tell her honestly.

Her expression softened and she ruffled my hair affectionately. I feigned annoyance and playfully slapped her hand away. I put an arm around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder again. I felt her place a soft kiss on the top of my head. "I've missed you too short stack," she whispered to me.

"Stace?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm in love with Chloe."

"You think?"

I sighed. "No, scratch that. I know I'm in love with her. I'm already head over fucking heels in love with her."

She didn't say anything, she just squeezed my shoulder gently, letting me know that she'll always be there for me and that she's glad that I told her. I just mumbled a quiet thank you in response.

"So . . . How have you been?" I ask, lying on the couch, with my head resting on her lap.

"Fine, I guess. It sucked that we didn't get to spend as much time as we normally did for the past couple of weeks but I understand Becs. You're in love with Chloe and you want to spend as much time with her as possible. So, I'm not that mad. And besides, Aubrey has been accompanying me for the last couple of weeks."

"Aubrey? As in THE Aubrey Posen?" darn, I didn't mean to sound incredulous. "Sorry, I swear I didn't mean it in a bad way, I'm just genuinely surprised," I tell her quickly.

"It's okay, many people act that way when they hear Bree's name," she told me sadly. "It's kind of saddening and annoying because they don't even know her that well. She's not really the 'stick up her ass' type of person. She just is always under a lot of pressure because of her father. Once you really get to know her, you'll know that she's a very sweet, kind and loyal person. She's awesome Bec." Stacie had a small smile on her face as she thought about the blonde. She also had that expression on her face, the same expression I would get whenever I thought about Chloe.

Suddenly, a thought hit me. Could it be? Is Stacie, one of the most emotionally closed off people besides me, finally falling in love? Damn. Aubrey Posen and Chloe Beale must be really special people. I look up at Stacie, letting my gaze do the questioning.

She sighed as her shoulders slumped. "Yes Beca, I am in love with her," she tells me. I just reach for her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. "Aubrey must really be something then," I tell her with a cheeky grin.

"You have no idea," Stacie mumbled before a serene smile took over her features. We basked in the silence and calmness around us, thinking of the girls who had managed to turn our worlds upside down in just a matter of weeks.

Two months pass by quickly. Chloe and I had grown unbelievably close, and next to Stacie, I consider her as my best friend. We even hang out at school and outside school now. Sometimes we would stroll around the city, just looking around while we tell each other how our days went. Sometimes we'd eat at Chuck's before she has to go to Bellas practice. Sometimes, we'd just hang out at the quad, me mixing music and her reading a book. She's so amazing that I find myself falling harder for her every passing day, which I thought was no longer possible. I'm at a point where I would throw away my own happiness if it meant I'd make her happy.

I think I'm already in this too deep that I could never pull myself out of this situation any longer.

Stacie's not in a better position though. I swear that girl has hearts in her eyes whenever Aubrey's name is mentioned. Hmm . . . I think I'm not one to talk. Anyway, I think her friendship with Aubrey's getting stronger with each passing day as well.

Every morning, I see my best friend waiting by the double doors of the building's entrance with a cup of steaming coffee in one hand. Aubrey always has a ready smile for my best friend as she hugs her sideways, before she takes the cup thankfully and they'd walk to their classes chattering. And in the afternoon, as Stacie told me, the two of them would have a brief stroll at the park while having some snacks as they'd talk about everything and nothing.

It'll never fail to amaze me how Aubrey could do that. Stacie seems to be a wholly different person when she's with the blonde. She really must be in love. I can't say that it's a bad thing though. My best friend's grades have skyrocketed since she became friends with Aubrey. And I have never seen her any happier.

I can't help but feel content with our lives right now. It felt like, for the first time in years, everything was going smoothly and perfectly with our lives. I should have known better though.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys, so here's chapter 6, finally. Again, thanks to all the people who read, review, favorite and follow this fic. Oh, special thanks to hurriCADE who is always giving constructive criticism. You're awesome. And also to the others who have taken the time to leave a review, thank you very much guys. Oh, and to CRAZYBACON, I kind'a always forget, but thanks man. I'll always remember your advise.**

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Beca's POV**_

I was sitting quietly on my favorite spot at the quad waiting for Stacie. She told me she has a surprise for me. I wonder what it is. I put my headphones over my ears as I leaned against the tree behind me. Might as well get some shut eye while I wait for my best friend.

I was already drifting off to sleep when I felt people sit on either side of me and yanked my headphones off. I was about to sneer at them when I was faced with Stacie herself and a vaguely familiar blonde – haired girl. Where have I seen this girl before?

"Forget about me already little B? It hasn't even been a year since we said our goodbyes yet. I thought you and S were staying at Manhattan." Blondie smirked at me.

Wait a minute . . . Oh! Now I remember! Stacie and I have been friends with this girl since freshman year of high school.

"Jessica Collins!"

"The one and only," she answered with a toothy grin.

"I ran into her the other day. We caught up with each other already. I thought you'd want to see each other as well," Stacie piped up, a wide grin also etched on her face.

"Of course I'd want to. I'd like to catch up with this friend of ours as well," I tell them with a smile.

"What about we do that at this pizza parlor I know of? It's just a couple of blocks away from Barden and they have the best pizza," Jessica suggested.

"You don't have to tell us twice," Stacie and I say simultaneously as we stood up, dragging Jessica with us. She was chuckling all the way to the pizza parlor as we dragged her along.

We were on our second batch of pizza – Jess was right, the pizza here was to die for – and sharing jokes and stories when I saw them enter: a redhead, a blonde and a brunette. I wasn't going to pay them any attention but the redhead looked a lot like Chloe that I couldn't help but stare, even if I had to twist my body a little and crane my neck just to see them. God, the backrests of the booths at this place are annoyingly high.

No, she didn't look like Chloe. She was Chloe. And the blonde with her was the one and only Aubrey Posen. The brunette with them . . . she looked so familiar yet I can't remember. I get this strange feeling that she'd bring nothing but trouble. I noticed that Jessica and Stacie had been quiet as well so I turned to look at them. Jessica had her eyebrows furrowed while Stacie, well, she looks like she'd seen a ghost.

"Stace . . . ?"

"That's Kayla, Bec."

"Huh? Who's Kayla? What're you talking about Stace?"

"That girl, that brunette with Aubrey and Chloe, she's Kayla Rivera. THE Kayla Rivera." She said the name as though I should be remembering something very important.

Kayla Rivera . . . Kayla Rivera . . . Kay . . . la . . . Oh my God!

"That psychotic-bitch-turned-obsessed-fan-and-stalker-af ter-a-one-night-stand Kayla Rivers?" I asked, wide-eyed. This is so not good.

"What's she doing with Chloe and Aubrey?" I ask Stacie.

"I don't know, but I get the feeling that we are not gonna like it, whatever the reason is," she answered grimly.

"Guys, what's going on?" Jessica asked, clearly puzzled.

"We'll explain everything later Jess," I tell her. Stacie and I faced forward when the trio occupied the booth behind us. Thank God the backrest is high, completely concealing us from them.

"How's everything going?" I hear Kayla ask.

"I . . . I don't know if I can continue Kay. Are you sure Beca Mitchell's really a bad person? She doesn't seem so . . ." it was Chloe. I froze when I heard my name.

"Of course she is. I've known her since high school. Beca and her jerk of a best friend Stacie are heartless womanizers. They've broken countless hearts before, including mine."

"I agree with Chlo, Kayla. Stacie doesn't seem so - "

"No! Can't you see? They already have you under their spells. They'll act all sweet and perfect and tell you a bunch of lies to get into your pants. Once they get what they want, they'll just toss you aside like yesterday's trash. Stick to the plan girls. Remember, you're only using them to make Tom and Luke jealous so that they'll come begging for you to take them back. I heard that those two are planning to ask you guys at Chloe's birthday party a few weeks from now. Beca's already in love with Chloe and Stacie with Aubrey. Make them fall for you even more so that when you dump them for Tom and Luke at the party, they'd be crushed. They deserve to have their hearts broken, for all the girls whose hearts got broken because of those two." It was that bitch again.

I didn't know what to do. I wanted to stand up and yell at them. I wanted to yell at Chloe for fooling me. I wanted to toss the table. I wanted to rip my heart out of my chest because I can feel the all too familiar burning that's beginning to hurt my chest. I wanted to cry. Jessica was livid and she wanted to confront the trio, but Stacie and I stopped her. We didn't want to make a scene and both of us were still too hurt, too confused and too stunned.

I couldn't believe it. I trusted Chloe with everything. I gave her power over me, believing that she wouldn't do anything to hurt me. But from the very beginning, her only aim was to use me to get her ex back and to break my heart to a million pieces. It would've been better if she just ripped my heart out them stomped over it a million times. That hurt is nothing compared to the hurt I am feeling right now.

She judged me even before she really knew me. She judged me based on the lies that that bitch fed them. She believed Kayla that the things, the secrets and fears that I have shared with her were all a bunch of lies. How could she? I was right all along. Except for dad, Stacie and Jessica, I could never trust anybody else. They will all just end up hurting me.

The worst part? Even though I'm hurting so, so much right now, although it feels like my heart is being broken into a million pieces, I couldn't bring myself to hate Chloe. I couldn't hate her because I'm still fucking in love with her. I could feel tears slipping from my eyes. I couldn't bring myself to wipe them away.

Jessica put a hand over mine and Stacie's and she's looking at us with a broken expression. I know she's hurting for the two of us. Despite the tears, I tried my best to smile gratefully at her. Stacie . . . she looks so distraught that I felt my heart break even more for my best friend. What have we done to deserve all of this? What?! Damn it, it hurts so fucking much.

We waited for Chloe, Aubrey and Kayla to leave. We didn't want to risk being seen by them. Stacie and I were too broken to handle a confrontation right now.

Jessica offered to drive us home since both Stacie and I were sobbing uncontrollably. She even accompanied us once we arrived home. It took a while before the two of us calmed down but we did.

Stacie got out cans of beer, I don't know how many, I didn't count. I consumed one beer after another, drinking myself into oblivion. I wanted to forget about Chloe. Forget her bright blue eyes. Forget her gorgeous, alluring smile. Forget her silky soft and fiery hair. I wanted to forget everything about her. I wanted to forget the searing pain I felt in my chest. God, I just wanted to forget.

**A/N 2: Please don't hate me. . . ?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks again guys. You're all awesome and I love you. Lol. You all make me happy. Okay, enough said. This chapter's Stacie centric. Chapter 8's coming up soon. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Stacie's POV**_

"_You're a good for nothing heartbreaker Stacie Mitchell."_

_I look around to find the person where the voice came from but I was faced with a vast darkness and emptiness that seemed to go on forever, and I was all alone._

_I could hear the voice again, taunting me, throwing insults at me and I turn again and again to find this person until everything around me started spinning and my brain began protesting. Dropping to my knees, I clutched either side of my head, willing the throbbing to go away. The next I heard was the sound of heels clacking against the ground, getting closer and closer to where I was._

_I look up and I see the face of Kayla Rivera looking at me with so much anger in her eyes. She glared and sneered at me and I literally flinched at the harshness directed towards me. "You know how it feels to get your heart broken again Stacie? You deserve that you jerk. Oh, I'd pay to see your face at Chloe's party when Aubrey dumps you. I'd love to see you wearing that broken expression Stacie. You only cause people heartbreaks. Even your best friend got hurt because of you. You're worthless Mitchell." I wince at her words and I could already feel the familiar burning in my chest as I stared at her with tears streaming down my eyes._

_This Kayla was so different from the Kayla that I have been friends with during high school, before everything went wrong, before I broke her heart._

_I met Kayla at one of the parties being held by a jock during my sophomore year of high school. She was there when I went outside for a breather when the party got too much for me. She offered me a smoke as we stood at the porch, looking at the starry night sky. I learned so much about constellations and myths about the stars that night. That started our friendship._

_When Kayla and I got closer, Beca and Jessica told me that I should stay away from Kayla as soon as possible because she'd cause nothing but problems and complications. __**How I wish I listened to them then.**__ I didn't, because she was my friend. The problem though, Kayla wanted us to be more than friends. Sure, I have the reputation of sleeping around with whom I please – it started when my first girlfriend broke my heart by dumping me for a douche jock on my freshman year – but I __**NEVER**__, I repeat, __**NEVER **__sleep with my friends. It's a big no – no on my book. It'll just end up as a huge mess when feelings start to get involved._

_At another party, this one for the end of the school year, I got pretty wasted. All I remember was drinking lots and lots of beer, then nothing. Next thing I know, I was waking up in a bed that was definitely not mine and I was completely naked under the sheets. I was horrified when I found Kayla beside me, pretty much naked as well._

_What happened after was blurry to me: confessions of love, getting asked out on a date, being offered of being someone's girlfriend. It was too much for me. I loved Kayla, I really did, but more of the sisterly-love way and not the way that she wanted me to love her. I couldn't lie to her, so even though it hurt like a bitch, I told her the truth._

_She was devastated at first, and then she got annoyed, pissed then really angry. She started cursing me and throwing insults at me that cut me deep but I stayed quiet as I watched her storm about the room getting dressed. The fact that I caused my friend heartache was more painful for me._

"_I'll get back at you for this Stacie, remember that. I'll make sure that you'll feel heartbreak a thousand times worse than what I am feeling right now." Those were the exact words she uttered before she left. I couldn't stop the tears, even if I had Beca and Jessica comforting me. I told them what happened and they hated Kayla even more._

_The following weeks, I always felt as though someone was watching my every move. Even some stuff I had in my locker had gone missing. I never saw Kayla once. Then, a few weeks before graduation, Kayla's family moved away. She was just going back at the day of her graduation to attend it. When she left, I didn't feel like someone was always watching me anymore and things stopped disappearing from my locker. I told this to Beca and Jessica and they said that it might have been Kayla all along. That's when Beca started calling her psychotic-bitch-turned-obsessed-fan-and-stalker-af ter-a-one-night-stand._

_The setting shifted and now, I was at Barden, at the quad, and instead of Kayla, I was with Aubrey. Her blonde hair framed her face beautifully and the sun made it glow like a golden halo about her head, her hazel eyes as piercing as ever. But instead of the warm smile that never failed to make my insides melt, she was staring at me coldly. As soon as our eyes met, she turned around and started walking away from me. I tried to shout her name but nothing came out of my mouth. I tried to follow her but I couldn't move my feet. So, I stood there helplessly, my tears cascading over my cheeks as I watched the love of my life walking away with my heart. . ._

"Stacie! Wake up!"

I sprang up from lying position quickly, still in a daze after that nightmare. Beca and Jessica are looking at me with worried expressions, both of them grasping my shoulders. My cheeks felt wet and I realized that they were my own tears. I pulled my knees up against my chest and I wrapped my arms around them. I slowly rocked back and forth as my sobs wracked my body. I felt so helpless and miserable that I could do nothing but cry.

I felt Beca shift beside me before I was pulled against her front and her arms wrapped around me. She held me as I cried and I could tell that she was crying as well. She looked so tired and broken; she must've felt that way too, because I did. I apologized, because she got involved in Kayla's plan on getting back at me. Kayla was right, because of me, Beca got her heart broken all over again. Beca just shook her head slightly and held me tighter, but I could still feel her tears and mine falling on my lap. Jessica held the two of us as we cried ourselves to sleep.

* * *

When Beca and I woke up again, the three of us headed to the kitchen for some brunch after Beca and I had taken showers. We were eating quietly and I could tell that Beca's thinking about Chloe because she had on her 'thinking-about-Chloe-Beale' face.

"What now guys? What are you going to do about Chloe and Aubrey? And maybe Kayla as well? I feel like I want to punch the living daylights out of her." Jessica said, breaking the silence. I thought Beca wasn't going to respond so I was about to answer when she spoke up.

"Pretend," she answers coolly.

"Pretend? Pretend that what?" I asked confusedly. Beca nodded her head.

"Look. What we found out is very, very much painful for me. But losing Chloe when she finds out that we already know about their secret will kill me. I admit that I still can't face her this early without wanting to break down, but the thought of losing her in my life is killing me. I have never loved anyone as much as I love Chloe so I'm gonna pretend. Call me a masochist or a fool or whatever you want, but I can't be without her, not now." The determination in her voice had me staring at her in awe.

Could I do it? Could I pretend that I don't know that Aubrey's only using me to make her ex jealous so that he comes back to her, just to keep her in my life? But then, I remembered my dream, the thought of losing Aubrey forever killing me inside.

"Fine, let's pretend we never heard anything."

Jessica was looking at the two of us incredulously, like have we lost our minds. Maybe we did. Who knows? But I do know that I'm already so in love with Aubrey that I am willing to deceive myself just to keep her in my life.

Maybe Beca and I are masochists.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N : Again, thank you for the reviews, they keep me going. They are very much appreciated.**

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Beca's POV**_

I'm tired. I'm very tired. I don't want to hurt anymore. I don't want to cry myself to sleep anymore. I want to stop hurting every time I think about Chloe. I know I was the one who suggested that we pretend to not know about their secret, but I still haven't faced Chloe yet. I have been avoiding her for the past two weeks because I still break down at the mere mention of her name. Everything hurts but I miss her so much.

I know that Stacie has been avoiding Aubrey because she goes straight home after her classes or work. I could see from the look in her eyes that she's still berating herself for what has happened to us, but I don't really blame her. It pains me every night when I hear her cry herself to sleep after coming home very drunk.

I honestly don't know what to do anymore. All the thinking is only making me hurt more so I decided to get out of the apartment for a breather. I was wandering around, just letting my feet take me to places, trying so hard to forget about everything if even for a moment. I was surprised when, moments later, I found myself standing at _**our**_ spot.

I walk slowly to the edge of the lake, removing my shoes to let my feet soak in the water. The coolness of the water and the beautiful scenery instantly melted away all the stress and worries I felt. I let myself lie down on the grass-covered ground and closed my eyes as I relish the feeling of comfort and peace that washed over me.

"Hey," I hear a voice softly call out near me. I could hear footsteps coming closer to where I was lying followed by someone sitting beside me on the grass. My heart was beating like I just ran miles and every beat felt like my heart was being squeezed dry of blood. I was panicking internally because, fuck, I'm so not ready to face her yet. I don't answer her, I just remained still with my eyes still closed.

"Beca? Hey, are you awake?" Still, I don't answer her. She let out a loud sigh as I felt her taking hold of my hand.

"You've been avoiding me. Did I do something wrong? Please tell me so that I can fix it, whatever it is. Please Bec." She sounded genuinely upset that I couldn't help but open my eyes and look at her. Her cerulean blue eyes were shining with unshed tears and they looked so sad. Even her chin was slightly quivering. She looked like she was about to cry. Still, she looks as breathtakingly gorgeous as ever.

_Why do you have to do this to me Chloe? I should hate you right after everything you did, but why am I being upset at myself for making you cry? You're confusing me here Red. Why are you acting like you actually care about me when it's already clear to me that you're only going to hurt me? You're not making sense, yet I still love you._

The tears started to flow down her rosy cheeks and I hastily sat up, holding her face in my hands and wiping them away. Chloe leaned in to my touch and she put her hands over mine. I felt my own eyes start to tear up and I didn't even try to stop them from falling. It was her turn to wipe them away.

"Why are you crying Bec?" she asked worriedly. I shook my head, opting instead to put my arms around her in a tight embrace. "I wasn't avoiding you. I just simply had a lot going on that needed a lot of thinking by myself," I whisper in her ear. She hugged me tighter before letting go only to pull me down with her so that we were lying on the ground. I looked up at the sky as I tried to commit this moment in my memory.

I scooted closer to her before turning on my side so that I could see her beautiful face. She did the same and I found her very blue eyes staring back at me. I reached up to touch her face, letting my fingers ghost over her eyelids, her nose, and her lips. My chest hurt again because I know that this beautiful person can never be mine. I close my eyes to prevent oncoming tears from falling as I inched my face closer to hers and pressed my lips against her forehead. _I love you so, so much Chloe._

I pulled back and rested my head on her chest, letting the feeling of her rhythmic heartbeat drown everything else, and I found myself drifting off to dream land in a matter of seconds.

_**Stacie's POV**_

I hate that I feel so miserable right now. I am the worst friend ever. I have been a miserable friend to Kayla and now she's taken her revenge on me and hurt not only me, but Beca as well. And, I'm never good enough. I wasn't good enough for Courtney years ago, I'm not good enough for Aubrey now. Can I really do this? Can I really just ignore the fact that she's only using me to make her ex jealous just to not lose her, but I know that she'll never be mine in the end?

I toss and turn in my bed, trying so hard to fall asleep because I have never had any good night's sleep for the past two weeks without the aid of alcohol. When I still couldn't fall asleep, I got up from bed and looked at the time. It's pretty late but I still took my keys with me as I put on my running shoes and got out of the apartment, hoping that a jog could help me.

I went to the park where Aubrey and I always went to and ran a few laps. I stopped and sat down on a nearby bench when I was tired and just looked up at the stars. I couldn't help but admire their beauty.

I sigh as I stood up to go home. It feels like I have been gone for hours because I could see the dawn breaking out in the sky. I froze in my place when I heard a familiar voice and I saw Aubrey talking to Luke as the two of them approached the bench I have been sitting on. I quickly go to a part of the park where they couldn't see me.

"C'mon Aubrey. What else do you want me to do? I already told you that I was sorry for breaking up with you. I still love you, and I know you still love me too. Let's get back together," I hear him say to her.

"Luke, I told you, I still have to think about it, and I told you to give me time until Chloe's party. Now, I went out for an early morning jog, alone. Can you please leave me for now?" I hear him sigh and I peeked to see him standing up.

"Can I kiss you?" I can see a faint smile on Aubrey's face as she rolled her eyes playfully and stood up as well, planting a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. It felt like my chest was run over by a rushing truck as I turned around and quickly walked away, hastily wiping away tears as they fell from my eyes.

I can't take it. I'm so sorry Beca, I don't want to lose Aubrey but I have a feeling that losing her is inevitable. I love her but I can't take it if I have to see her be in love with someone else every day. I'm sorry but I think I have to leave.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So, thanks for the reviews, again. Uh, I have a feeling that you're all going to hate me after this chapter, but this has to be done. I'm sorry in advance and please bear with me. **

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Beca's POV**_

"What the hell, Stacie?! You're leaving?!" I paced about the living room, glaring at my best friend seated on the couch from time to time. Stacie let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped even more.

"I know I agreed to pretend that I don't know Aubrey's secret, but I can't Beca! I went out for a jog earlier and I saw her there with Luke. I saw them kissing with my own eyes Bec! That felt so worse. I know now that losing her is inevitable but if I stay here, I have to endure seeing her be in love with him. That wouldn't only kill me, that'll destroy me!"

I rushed to my best friend's side as she broke out into a sob. I held her tight, letting her cry out all of the hurt and frustration that she felt. I wanted to cry too, but I didn't. I needed to stay strong for the both of us. If I drowned myself in my own sorrows, both of us would only stay miserable. This is the first time in years that I have seen Stacie this emotional. After losing her parents and Courtney breaking her heart, Stacie began to build up walls like me. But, if I put on a closed-off, devil-may-care-attitude façade, Stacie chose to act cool and keep her feelings to herself and began to sleep with people without strings attached.

Right at that moment, I made up my mind. "You're not leaving alone Stace," I tell her once she was calm enough. She looked at me confusedly. "What do you mean I'm not leaving alone? What are you saying Beca?" it's my turn to sigh as I buried my face in her neck, letting her familiar scent of orange and sandalwood calm me.

"I'm coming with you. It's only a week before Chloe's party and we only have two weeks before this semester ends. We could wait until then and come next semester, we're gonna move back to New York. I am not letting you go alone Stacie, I need my best friend at my side, I need you at my side, while I try to move on. And I have to make sure that you'll be able to move on as well."

"What about dad? Will he let us go back to Manhattan?"

"We'll tell him the truth, we'll tell him the reason why we're leaving. But we need to make him promise never to confront Chloe and Aubrey. We'll tell him that we're only staying for a year or two until we've already moved on and are ready to face Chloe and Aubrey again. Then we'll transfer back here. Maybe the distance is what we both need. Maybe it can help us forget and finally move on."

I have a feeling that no matter how much time would fly or no matter where I go, Chloe would always stay in my heart because, whether I like to admit it or not, she's my one true love.

* * *

For the next few days, I tried my best to make Chloe feel how much I love her without putting it into words. Every morning, I'd leave a note at her locker telling her either to have a good day ahead or to just smile always because her smile never fails to light up everything around her. I'd put it inside her locker with a different flower every day. And I always go to the lake with food that I know Chloe loves, and right after we eat, I give her small gifts that remind me of her, like a necklace with a sapphire gem pendant that reminded me of her eyes. Or that stuffed lion with a red mane that reminded me of her fiery hair. I showered her with love because I knew that the week after this, she's gonna get back with Tom.

I wanted to make her feel my love for her before she breaks my heart at her party. I tried to make happy memories with her that I committed into my mind. I want to remember her through our happy memories together instead of the memory of the heartbreak she caused me.

* * *

_**Stacie's POV**_

"Hi Stacie." I look beside me to see Aubrey plopping on the grass-covered ground to my left with a small smile on her face. I couldn't help but admire her beauty. God, she's very beautiful and I love her so much. I instantly sobered up when I remembered that this beautiful person can never be mine. I quickly look away so that she wouldn't see the pain evident on my eyes.

"Are you . . . are you and Beca coming to the party tonight?" she asked hesitantly. I turned to look at her again. She's fidgeting and her hands are playing with the hem of her shirt, a clear sign that she's nervous. I sigh as I let my gaze drift to the cloudy skies. I wonder how it felt like to be able to fly across the sky, letting the wind guide me as I left all my worries behind. "Yeah. It's Chloe's birthday. Beca and I wouldn't miss it for the world." I force a smile at her before letting my gaze drift upwards again.

"Oh . . . that . . . that's great. I . . . uhm . . . I guess I'll see you there." She moved to stand up but I held her hand to stop her and pull her back down. I looked at her hazel eyes and instantly felt myself get lost in them.

_I love you. I know you hurt me but I still love you so, so much. I wish you'd be happy when you get back with Luke, because your happiness is what matters most to me. But I have to leave because I can't bear to see you with him. I know I should hate you but I can't because my love for you overpowers any hate I should rightfully feel towards you. I can never forget you because my heart knows that it could never love anybody else other than you._

I felt something wet against my cheeks and I realized that I was crying again. Aubrey's eyes were shining with unshed tears as well. Why is she crying? Why does she look hurt as well? Ugh! I don't get it. Before I could stop myself, I lunged forward and locked her in my arms. I relished in the feeling of her warmth and the smell of strawberries and vanilla. This may be the last time that I get to enjoy her embrace.

Without really thinking about it, I pulled back a little and crashed my lips against hers. She stiffened and didn't reciprocate at first but I kept on kissing her. I put all the love I had for her in that one kiss and I felt her responding moments later. I felt light-headed. A warm tingling feeling spread throughout my body from the point where our lips were connected, and I felt the butterflies rampaging in my stomach.

We pulled away when the need for oxygen became an issue. She was looking at me with wide bewildered eyes. She hastily stood up and made a lame excuse of having to go because she had an important errand to do. I let the tears fall freely from my eyes as I promised myself that this is the last time I'm going to be wasting all these tears on Aubrey Posen.

**A/N 2: The party's gonna be happening in the next chapter. There's gonna be lots of drama. Beware. **


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Pitch Perfect . . . **

_**(The Party)**_

Beca and Stacie were reluctant to go to the party because they already know what was waiting for them there, add the fact that Jessica couldn't come with them because she had errands to do. But, they still decided to go so they still got ready albeit half-heartedly.

The place was already packed when they got there. The guests were already drunk and were having a good time. The two brunettes weaved their way through the throngs of sweaty bodies swaying to the beat as they tried to find Chloe and Aubrey. They saw them sitting among a group of girls, obviously having a great time. Beca and Stacie approached the group hesitantly.

It was the Aussie from the activities fair who had noticed them first and beckoned them to come closer. All of the other girls turned to look at them and the two shifted uncomfortably. Chloe beamed and stood up to give the two brunettes a hug. Aubrey, on the other hand, was looking intently at her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt, refusing to look at anything else.

"Guys! I'm so glad that you made it!"The redhead exclaimed happily. "Of course, it is your birthday after all," Beca responded, her voice laced with a certain sadness that Chloe hadn't even noticed. She pulled Beca and Stacie closer to where the Bellas were sat and proceeded with the introductions.

"You call yourself Fat Amy?" Stacie asked the Aussie who merely shrugged before answering. "Yeah, so twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back." This earned her a laugh from the two brunettes.

Beca and Stacie were fidgeting in their seats, feeling very uncomfortable as the Bellas eyed the two of them. Well, except for Fat Amy, who was looking at them sympathetically, and Cynthia Rose, whose eyes were glued to Stacie's boobs. It eventually became too much for Beca that she excused herself and Stacie as she dragged her best friend out of the house. They sat on the porch steps as they breathed in the cool night air.

Stacie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small rectangular box which she handed to Beca. "Please give this to Chloe. It's my birthday gift for her. You can also give her yours. I want to go home already Becs. I'll just wait for you here," she told the shorter girl.

Beca took in a few deep breaths before she stood up and went back inside, putting the small box in her pocket. She spotted Chloe by the beer keg and quickly approached her.

"Beca! Are you having fun?" Chloe asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Uh . . . Chlo . . . I was wondering if we could maybe . . . uh . . . talk? In private I mean."

Chloe's face straightened and she held Beca's wrist, dragging her to the backyard. Once they were full outside, Chloe let go and put her arms around herself. The loud music of the party was only a dull roar out there and Beca seemed to relax a bit.

"Chlo . . . ?"

"You wanted to talk in private Beca. I think this is private enough."

"Oh . . . yeah . . . uh . . . Stacie and I wanted to greet you a happy birthday and . . . uh . . . we wanted to give you these." Beca pulled out two boxes from her pocket. One was a small square black velvet box and the other was the box from Stacie. Chloe looked surprised and she proceeded to open the smaller box and gasped as she saw its content.

It was a simple silver ring, studded with alternating small blue and red gems. Chloe pulled it out of the box to take a better look at it. "I saw that when Stacie and I went to the mall the other day and I immediately knew that I had to get it for you. I actually kind of goes with Stacie's present," Beca said as she pointed at the other box.

Chloe opened the other box and saw a simple yet elegant silver necklace inside, without a pendant. Beca stepped forward and removed the chain from the box and took the ring from Chloe's hand. She then proceeded to pass the chain through the ring and held it up for Chloe to see. Tears began to form in Chloe's eyes as she turned around and held her hair up to let Beca put the necklace around her neck.

Beca saw tears running down Chloe's cheeks when she finally turned around and the small brunette wiped them away tenderly, stroking the redhead's cheeks gently. Chloe hugged the brunette tight, whispering a soft 'thank you' repeatedly. Beca merely held her closer, whispering a soft _Ich werde alles für Sie tun _in Chloe's ears.

Chloe pulled back with a confused look on her face but before she could ask Beca what she said, her friends came out from the backdoor and hurriedly dragged her back inside. Beca sighed in disappointment as she lagged behind.

The music was turned off as everyone was gathered in the living room, with Chloe and Aubrey sitting at the front, all of them facing the direction of the TV. There were two stools a couple of feet away from where Chloe and Aubrey were seated. Beca stood frozen on the spot. Her mind kept shouting at her that she should just move forward, get the hell out of that place, or else, she'd get her heart crushed. But she couldn't move. Her legs felt like dead weight as she stood there, dreading whatever was about to happen.

Stacie, wondering what was taking Beca so long to just give a gift, went back inside to fetch her friend. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion when she saw all the people gathered in the living room. She saw Beca standing off to the side and she quickly approached her. She was about to drag Beca out when the people began to cheer.

Tom and Luke were now sitting at the stools in front with their guitars in hand. "Happy birthday Chloe," they greeted in unison. Chloe had a very huge smile on her face and she looked giddy, so did Aubrey. Tom and Luke began playing and singing and Beca and Stacie instantly recognized the song as Enrique Iglesias' Hero. The two brunettes wanted to barf at how lame the song choice was but all of the people around them cheered.

Tom and Luke stood up from the stools and walked closer to the two girls seated in front of the crowd. Luke knelt in front of Aubrey while Tom knelt in front of Chloe. By the end of the song, Chloe's and Aubrey's eyes were shining with unshed tears. "Be my girlfriend again?" Tom and Luke asked the girl in front of them. Chloe and Aubrey only nodded happily.

Both girls squealed in delight when they were picked up from their seats and were spun around before being put down and kissed senseless. When they pulled apart, Chloe and Aubrey hugged their boyfriends tightly. But they made the mistake of looking over their shoulders at Beca and Stacie and their hearts sank as they saw the broken expression that both the brunettes wore. There were tears streaming from their eyes and they looked like they have lost the spark in them. Chloe and Aubrey looked on, their hearts confusingly hurting, as Beca and Stacie hurriedly left the vicinity.

* * *

Beca and Stacie were sobbing uncontrollably as they lay in Beca's bed. They thought it wouldn't hurt so much since they already knew it was coming, but seeing all of that happen before their very eyes felt like their hearts and souls were being ripped apart. It hurt so much that they both had, for a brief moment, wished for death to come to them. that night, the two of them cried their selves to sleep as they thought of how unfair the whole situation was.

**A/N: Please don't hate me.**

_**Ich werde alles für Sie tun**_** – I'll do anything for you (in German)**

**Sorry if this isn't right. I only used google translate. Peace!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am so sorry if I made all of you sad. I promise to make up for all of the angst in the future chapters. **

**hurriCADE: about Beca speaking in German, let's just say that she wasn't really ready to tell Chloe how much she cared for the redhead because she knew that there was a huge possibility of Chloe breaking her heart.**

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Beca's POV**_

"Hey."

Stacie and I look to the door to see Jessica enter with paper bags in both hands. She bumped the door with her hips to close it and she walked to where we were sat at the couch, putting the bags on top of the coffee table.

"How are you doing?" she asked as she sat in between the two of us. I look at Stacie, seeing her looking blankly at the television but her eyes were shining yet again with unshed tears. I hate the fact that we're both still miserable right now. "Damn it, that was so insensitive. You don't have to answer guys. Forget I even asked," Jessica said after minutes of neither Stacie nor I not talking. She quietly pulled out boxes of take out from the paper bags she brought and handed each of us one.

"So . . . What are your plans?" Jessica asks again. I just sigh and put my food on the table, suddenly losing my appetite. Stacie did the same and moments later, we found ourselves crying into Jessica's shoulders as we told her everything, from the first moment we laid eyes on Chloe and Aubrey to the moment we decided on leaving together after the end of the first semester.

* * *

"Are you really sure this is what the two of you want Bec?"

I look up at my father who was holding his cup of coffee a little too tightly as a look of confliction adorned his face. He looks really upset at the thought of Stacie and I leaving for New York in a couple of days. I sigh before finishing my own cup of coffee.

"We have to do this dad. I'm very sorry that we have to leave you, but it's only for a year or two. We promise to transfer back here once we pick ourselves up again to finish our studies here, with you and Jess," I tell him solemnly. He frowned a little bit as he let out a sigh of defeat and I stood up from my seat to give him a tight hug. I hate seeing my father this upset.

"Fine, but you'll visit me on your breaks okay?"

"But of course. I love you dad. And Stacie does as well. We love you so, so much. Always remember that okay?" he smiled sadly as he kissed the top of my head before hugging me again.

"Oh God, my babies are already growing up," he commented tearfully. I couldn't help but smile at my father's antics.

* * *

For the next few days, I busied myself with my studies and getting ready for finals and finishing my rather depressing mixes. Just the other day, I came upon the song Wasting All These Tears by Cassadee Pope and I couldn't keep it out of my head. It's just the perfect song for mine and Stacie's situation right now. I tried my best to keep myself from thinking about _her_, and I thought I had been successful (during the day, but when night comes, I usually find myself waking up crying because I keep dreaming about _her_) until the first day of the last week of classes.

Thanks to all the sleepless nights and headache-inducing memorizations that I have done, I was able to finish my first final exam with ease and I even managed to finish early. Without anything to do, I decided to just stay at the quad to let myself relax a bit. I can't even remember the last time that I was at peace.

I laid on the ground, staring at the vast blue skies (that still painfully reminds me of _her_ bright blue eyes) as Cassadee Pope's voice blared through my headphones. I put my hands beneath my head as I let myself drift off to sleep. I wasn't able to full fall asleep though, because I felt someone sit close beside me. I refused to open my eyes or turn off my music because I had a pretty good idea of who it was. It wasn't Jessica, and it sure as hell wasn't Stacie.

Minutes later, I felt my headphones being gently pulled away from my ears but I still refused to open my eyes, because if I did, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to stop the tears that were threatening to escape.

"Beca . . ." Hearing her voice again was both a pleasure and torture for me. My heart still beats a million beats per minute, yet every beat hurts a thousand times worse from when I first discovered her secret. I didn't answer her nor made any move that indicated that I recognized she was there.

"I know I don't have the right to even talk to you but I really wanted to apologize. Please – "

I didn't let her finish. I sat up so quickly that even I myself was surprised for a moment. I felt some sort of anger and resentment towards Chloe at that moment. How can she act like that after using me and breaking my heart and judging me without really knowing me well enough? I didn't want to snap at her but the anger and hurt that I felt was just so much for me to handle that I couldn't stop the outburst.

"Don't. Stop talking. I don't want to hear your excuses Beale. I hope you're happy that you finally have your boyfriend back, at my expense. You believed all the stupid lies Kayla have fed you and you judged me without really knowing me well at all. You hurt me and you lied to me when I have always been honest with you. I can't even look at you right now. So please, I don't want to talk to you."

I quickly got up and picked my bag from the ground, sprinting away from Chloe as hot tears fell from my eyes. I didn't even bother to look at her face because I was afraid of what I'd see, whether she was upset and annoyed or genuinely hurt by my statement. Somehow, the latter horrified me more.

* * *

_**Stacie's POV**_

I'm counting down the days as they slowly drag by. I just wanted to move away, to let myself finally forget about her. It isn't easy though, because everywhere I look and everything I see only remind me of her. What I need is a change of scenery. I sigh as I take a sip of my soy latte, waiting for Jessica as I sat there on the park bench.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I failed to pay attention to my surroundings. It was too late when I realized that a familiar blonde with the most beautiful hazel eyes I have ever seen power-walking towards me. She had a determined look on her face as she finally reached me and towered over me.

"I hope you've learned your lesson Stacie. I hope that you would stop playing with other people's feelings after all of this."

I couldn't believe my ears. Does she really think that bad of me? It hurt, a lot. What have I done to deserve this?

"Do you really think that bad of me Aubrey? I never wanted to hurt anybody and I really considered Kayla as my friend. I hoped that you were different from all of the people who ended up hurting and disappointing me and only used me for their own gain, but you're not. I really thought we had something special going on, but I'm wrong again. And, I never lied to you Aubrey, not a single time. The Stacie that you spent a lot of time with? That's the real me."

I hurriedly walked away, furiously wiping at the tears that only kept on coming. I didn't look back so I missed the look of surprise on Aubrey's face and how it turned to confusion and regret and how tears fell continuously from her eyes down her rosy cheeks.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: As always, you guys are so awesome. And also, I really feel bad for making many of you sad, but all of these had to be done. We shall venture into a couple more chapters of hurt and angst but I promise you, once we finish delving into that realm, we'll all plunge into the more happy chapters 'kay? So please, please, please stay with me?**

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Jessica's POV**_

I sigh as I stood before two of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. It breaks my heart to see them this broken and I hate myself because I can't do anything to at least help ease their pain. These two are great people, yet why are the horrible things always after them?

"I'm so gonna miss you guys," I tell them, doing a pathetic job at keeping my tears at bay. They were smiling fondly at me but the sadness in their once-full-of-life eyes still remain. I cried harder.

"Aww . . . we're not leaving for good Jess. We're gonna be back next year or the year after that. But, we'll miss you too," Stacie responds solemnly, pulling me into a tight hug which Beca soon joins.

They eventually pull away, wiping at the tears that are now falling from their eyes. They both pull white envelopes from their pockets and hand them over to me. "Please give that to them at the start of the next semester," Beca tells me as her and Stacie pulled me in for another group hug before they hugged their dad goodbye and they walked off when they finally heard their flight being called. I left the airport with a heavy heart.

* * *

_**Aubrey's POV**_

I toss and turn in my bed for the hundredth time that night. I haven't had any sleep for the past week because . . . because the look on Stacie's face the last time I saw her keeps haunting me. Her last words were also keeping me up at night.

Honestly, I regret everything that happened between the two of us that day. If I could take back time, I never would've approached her like that. I would've done what my heart was dictating me to do, I would've apologized – on my knees if need be – but my stupid pride stopped me. And that would be my biggest regret, ever.

After a few minutes more of tossing and turning, I totally gave up on sleep and went out to the balcony of my childhood home and gazed up at the stars. Somehow, the sight only made me sadder and I felt such a pang in my chest as I was reminded of Stacie and the nights we spent under the stars, pointing at certain constellations as we shared our dreams and fears with each other. I could feel tears slipping past my cheeks but I never made any move to wipe them away.

As Stacie's beautiful face – so full of pain and disappointment – flashed in my mind again, I couldn't help but feel that I deserve the pain I am feeling right now. God, I regret hurting her so much. And not seeing her for a week made me miss her terribly. I let the tears fall harder as a realization hit me at that moment. As time wore on, Stacie has slowly but surely took a hold of my heart and now, it doesn't belong to me anymore.

Maybe that's why when I took Luke back, I didn't feel happy like I should have been and I did everything to not let it show; when I have succeeded in helping one of my best friends get back at the person who broke her heart, it felt like my own heart was being ripped to pieces.

Kayla has been mine and Chloe's best friend since third grade – Chloe and I go way back – and she has always been our protector. I grew fond of her because she always got our backs and Chloe and I made a silent promise that whatever happens, we've got her back always. So, when she got back to Atlanta from New York for college and we found her being just a shell of what she once was, Chloe and I vowed to make the person who hurt her suffer.

When Luke broke up with me and Tom with Chloe, Kayla managed to convince us to use Stacie and Beca – the people who hurt her in high school – maybe due to our bitterness and desperation to get the two jerks back. I know it was a very stupid and heartless plan, but Chloe and I were blinded with our desperation to help a friend who has always been our defender and to take back our boyfriends. Four years was hard to let go of.

Kayla told me that Stacie was a heartless womanizer. She knew that she was good-looking and used it to her advantage to flirt endlessly with girls, sleeping with them then discarding them the very next day. I didn't expect Stacie to be playful yet sometimes shy and very intellectual. She was so kind and sweet that I found myself forgetting about our plan most of the time. And I eventually realized that I fell in love with her, although it may be too late now.

I still have to do the right thing though. That night, I decided that I would break up with Luke as soon as the next morning and come next semester, I would do anything, **anything**, to make Stacie forgive me. I'll just deal with Kayla after.

* * *

_**Chloe's POV**_

"_Don't. Stop talking. I don't want to hear your excuses Beale. I hope you're happy that you finally have your boyfriend back, at my expense. You believed all the stupid lies Kayla have fed you and you judged me without really knowing me well at all. You hurt me and you lied to me when I have always been honest with you. I can't even look at you right now. So please, I don't want to talk to you."_

It hurts, everything hurts. The day after my attempt to apologize to Beca was the day I ended things with Tom. I had to do it because I couldn't keep lying to myself anymore. My heart was no longer his, it now belongs to a beautiful brunette DJ with the most beautiful navy blue eyes I have ever seen that I loved to get lost in.

It's been a week since I last saw her and classes have already ended with me not even being able to catch a glimpse of her. It hurts so much when I saw all the pain in her eyes and heard the anger in her voice. I hate myself for doing that to her, for hurting her.

I love her. God, I love her so much. I knew since the moment that she decided to open up to me. I honestly didn't want to go through with the plan but I didn't want to hurt Kayla, she's my best friend – next to Aubrey – after all. So, even though it broke my heart, I had to break hers, and I had to endure being together with someone I didn't love for a whole week. I have been crying myself to sleep ever since.

I want to make things right with her. I want her to forgive me and I am willing to do whatever it takes. I can't survive not having her in my life, it'd kill me. I have never been in love with anyone like I am in love with Beca and I know without a doubt that she's it for me.

Come next semester, I am going to do right by her. I'm not gonna lie and keep things from her anymore. I am gonna come clean with my feelings for her, no matter the consequence. Kayla just has to suck it up and learn to accept the fact that the plan backfired and I am totally, irrevocably in love with Beca Mitchell.


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

**(Start of the next semester)**

_**Jessica's POV**_

It's the first day again, but nothing is the same without those two. I go to all of my classes sadly, missing the presence of my two best friends. The white envelopes inside my bag felt heavy as I walked the hallways, trying my best to delay my inevitable confrontation with their rightful owners.

I was able to avoid the redhead and the blonde all day and I planned on giving the envelopes to them once classes ended. It was a good thing that my last class ended early so I waited outside the gym where Aubrey and Chloe's last class was.

"Well, if it isn't the one and only Jessica Collins."

My body freezes as I turn to look at the source of that voice. I was faced with a cold glare as Kayla Rivera stood before me, her arms crossed across her chest.

"What do you want from me?" the harshness of my own voice surprised not only Kayla but also myself as well.

"My, my, my, the kitty's got claws," she remarked sarcastically as she stepped closer towards me.

I wanted to flinch, to back away from her. I was calm on the outside, but inside I was a raging bull. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me getting too worked up.

"I have no time for your games Kayla, so could you tell me what you want with me already? Just get this over with and leave me alone."

I remain stoic as I watched her falter for a moment before she quickly composed herself. She sighed as her expression became serious.

"Where are Stacie and Beca? I need to talk to them." I snort at that and she answered with a scowl.

"What for? Did you finally realize your mistakes and now want to apologize? Well, it's too late now and I don't know if I trust you enough to let you near my best friends," I tell her equally serious. She growled as she inched her face even closer to mine. I had to swallow the lump that has formed in my throat as I backed away, trying to avert my gaze from her lips.

She backed away immediately and began to laugh mockingly. "You're so pathetic Collins. Could it be that you're still in love with me?"

It felt like a rushing truck slammed into my chest as an old painful wound has just been reopened. I clenched my jaw as I tried to hold back my tears, looking her straight in the eye.

She faltered again, taking a step back as the smirk on her face was slowly wiped off. Sensing that I could not hold my tears at bay any longer, I let them fall.

"You . . . How dare you bring that up?! You've been so . . . You are way worse than Stacie! At least, she made sure that the people she slept with didn't have any feelings for her. You were a friend to her and she _**NEVER**_ sleeps with her friends. What happened between the two of you was a drunken mistake. You, on the other hand, you knew that I was in love with you and you used that to your advantage. You used me and when you fell in love with my best friend a year after you started playing with my heart, you cast me aside like a useless trash. I have tried to warn her about you, but she didn't listen because she really treated you as a friend."

"That's not – "

"Shut up! She treasured you as a friend, but you wanted more when it was clear that she had no more to offer you. And your reaction was to loathe her and take revenge on her after so many years, like the spoilt brat that you are. You have never learned to accept that not everything will go your way and you hurt Stacie who cared so much about you. You even involved Beca who had done nothing wrong against you. How could you do that to her? How could you do that to them? You know what? I think you're not even really that hurt by Stacie's rejection and the only reason you've taken revenge on them is because of your stupid pride.

And what about your own best friends? Do they know that you were merely using them? Do they know that you've altered the truth about what happened three years ago? Do they know that Beca and Stacie are both really innocent?

So, sorry I'm not sorry that I think you're one of the worst people I have ever met. I even regret ever falling in love with you." I finish off my rant with the tears now streaming from my eyes.

My chest was heaving and my heart was aching. It was aching because of the memories, my past heartbreak in the hands of this person and it was aching for my two best friends. I look to Kayla and she was only gaping at me. I look past my shoulders and there stood Aubrey and Chloe who were also gaping. They must've heard my rant.

I gingerly got the envelopes out of my bag and push past Kayla to the two women standing behind her. I threw the envelopes by their feet as I sprinted away from them as fast as I could.

* * *

_**Chloe's POV**_

I couldn't believe my ears. Kayla lied to us? She was using us? Beca and Stacie were innocent? Aubrey seems to be as shell – shocked as I was as we watched Jessica looking at us with her eyes full of anger and resentment. She even threw two white envelopes at our feet as she passed by, quickly leaving the building. Aubrey and I lean down to pick them up. They had our names on it so it was no mistake that these letters were ours.

Kayla slowly turned towards us, donning that "deer in the headlights" expression. She opened her mouth probably to explain herself and apologize, but I was too confused by the mix of emotions I was feeling at the moment that I didn't want to hear any of her excuses at the moment. Surprisingly enough (or not) Aubrey beat her to it.

"Not now Kayla. No amount of apologizing could change the fact that you deceived us. Please, just leave us alone for now. We'll talk to you when we're ready." Aubrey's eyes were flashing from gold to hazel and her jaw was clenched, a clear sign that she was angry. And trust me when I say that you wouldn't want to see the Aubrey Posen angry. Kayla knew this very well so she walked away, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Aubrey and I hurried back to our apartment, locking ourselves in our respective rooms to read the letters in private. I have a bad feeling that I am going to get my heart broken when I read the contents of the envelope.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So . . . I got inspired and decided to put up two chapters today. Thank you all for your continuous support of this fic.**

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Chloe's POV**_

_Chloe,_

_Have I ever told you that you have the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen? Whenever I look up at the skies, I always remember you. And it never fails to calm me down. Your fiery mane of red hair is so beautiful, and I love running my fingers through it. It also makes you stand out, makes you unique against a sea of brunette, black and blonde haired people. Even your personality stands out. You have no sense of personal space. You're always optimistic and bubbly and happy. You're like a big ball of sunshine that always shines and shares its happiness with me. I love your eyes, I love your hair, and I love your personality. I love everything about you. I love you. So, so much._

_I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you. And within the span of a few weeks, you made me fall for you so hard that I am afraid I can no longer fall out of love with you. That's why it crushed me when Stacie, Jessica and I found out that you and Aubrey were only using us to get your boyfriends back and to help Kayla with her revenge. Yes, we already knew. We were at that pizza parlor when you guys talked about the progress of your plan._

_It hurt so much but the thought of losing you in my life was more painful so I told Stacie that we had to pretend that we didn't know. So, for a while, we pretended. But I couldn't face you without breaking down, that's why I avoided you. I couldn't avoid you for so long. Seeing you were both heaven and hell for me. I loved seeing your face, your smile, your bright blue eyes, your fiery hair and I loved hearing your voice, but at the same time, it was hurting me because I knew that you could never be mine._

_So, when Stacie said that she was leaving the state, I decided to go with her. We'll be gone for a year or two, to sort ourselves out. I want to move on Chlo but I know that I'll never really be able to move on from you. But, when I can handle seeing you be happy with him – even though it'll still hurt – I will go back to Barden. And maybe, when you're still there, we could be friends again? I meant it when I said that I couldn't take it if I lost you in my life so if I have to settle with being friends, I will. Because that's how much I love you._

_I'm hurting Chloe, but I don't hate you. I could never hate you. Always remember that. I love you Red. Always take care of yourself. Until we meet again._

_Beca_

My tears were already flowing down my cheeks when I finished reading the letter. With shaking hands, I held it against my heart before folding it again and placing it back inside the envelope. I put it under my pillow as I stood up on shaky legs to reach my closet where I pulled out an old and worn down gray hoodie that still smelt like vanilla and something uniquely Beca and I put it on before curling up in bed in a fetal position, crying myself to sleep. _I love you too Beca, I'm so, so sorry._

* * *

_**Aubrey's POV**_

I couldn't bring myself to open the envelope at first. I was afraid of what I would read inside. After minutes of pacing the room and pulling at my hair repeatedly, I went to my closet and pulled out the yellow sweatshirt that Stacie gave me months ago as a gift and put it on. _I saw this at the mall when Beca and I went shopping and it reminded me of your blonde hair Bree._ I couldn't help the tears that fell from my eyes at that memory.

Finally, I was able to sit down at my bed again and tear the envelope open. I pulled the letter out and with shaking fingers, I began to read. The contents have done nothing but break my heart.

_Hey Aubrey,_

_I know that you don't like me that much right now, but at least give me a chance to explain myself. Let me tell you of my side of the story. Just, keep reading please. After that, I won't be bothering you anymore._

_I met Kayla during my sophomore year of high school. Our first bonding activity? Stargazing at a party. That's the start of our friendship. We grew close as time passed by and Kayla, together with Beca warned me about her, telling me of what she has done to Jessica. I refused to believe that because she was already an important friend to me. But, I failed to notice that she has fallen in love with me._

_I wasn't capable of falling in love and romance at that time Bree, because a year earlier, my heart was so fucked up because of my first girlfriend. She hurt me so badly that I swore off relationships. That's when I started sleeping around. I made sure that there were no feelings attached because I was too emotionally unavailable and I didn't want to hurt my partner's feelings. And I swore never to sleep with my friends._

_What happened between Kayla and I was a huge mistake. We were both drunk at a party and I don't remember the happenings that night but I remember waking up naked next to an equally naked Kayla. That's when she confessed her feelings for me. I loved her, but in a more platonic way so I rejected her. I couldn't lead her on. But to this day, I regret hurting her._

_That's what really happened. I don't expect you to believe me, but thank you for giving me the chance to explain myself. And I also have another thing to tell you. I love you Aubrey. From the first moment I saw you. And I'll keep loving you until I breathe my dying breath. I have always been honest with you Bree. Every dream, fear and expectations I had that I shared with you are true. I can never lie to you.i know this confession may make you hate me even more but I had to do it._

_When we were spending time together, I really thought you were already falling for me too. I really thought we had that special connection. I believed that you were different from all of those people who hurt me. They only used me Aubrey. They didn't have any regards for my feelings. They thought I was simply a dumb slut who likes to sleep around. I believed that you were different from them._

_And then, we found out about your plans with Kayla at that pizza parlor. I was so crushed back then. I honestly didn't know what to do. Beca suggested that we pretend that we don't know your secret to not lose you and Chloe in our lives. I agreed because I really didn't want to lose you. But when I saw you and Luke at the park and I saw you kiss him, I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep on pretending. So, I decided to leave and Beca wanted to come with me. By now, we're most probably out of the state already._

_I'll try my best to move on, although it seems really impossible. But you don't have to worry, I'm not going to get in between your relationship with Luke because if he is the one who makes you happy, I'll be happy as well. Your happiness is what matters most to me Aubrey. And, when I come back to Barden and you're still there, I hope that we can be friends again._

_Always remember that I care so deeply for you and that I love you with every fiber of my being. Always take care of yourself Aubrey and don't stress out on things too much._

_Love,_

_Stacie_


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So, I want to thank you all again for the positive feedback. I love you. Seriously. **

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**(A few days later)**_

_**Jessica's POV**_

That's it. I'm officially lost. I curse under my breath as I weaved my way through the thick bushes and grasses, looking for a way back to campus grounds. I don't even remember how I got here. I just went out for a walk then got lost in my thoughts and the next thing I knew, I was at this area.

I push past more shrubs and I finally step into a clearing. I gaze around and I can't help but get mesmerized by the place. Everything's just so calm and peaceful and beautiful. There's even a lake with very clear water.

My gaze landed on the opposite side of the lake. That's when I saw the two people sitting idly on the grass, looking back at me. I instantly recognize them as Chloe and Aubrey through their hair, auburn and blonde.

I slowly walked closer to them and I noticed the hoodies they were wearing. I couldn't be mistaken. It was Beca's favorite hoodie that Chloe had on. Beca really loved that hoodie because it belonged to her mom. She gave it to Chloe? I look at the blonde, then at the old blue hoodie she was wearing and then at the red shirt with the faded _UCLA_ print underneath it. Those clothes were as important to Stacie as the blue hoodie was to Beca.

"Hey," I greet weakly as I plopped down a few feet from them. They smiled, albeit forced, and their eyes gleamed with sadness. Damn it. I should be hating these two right now, not feeling hurt for them. There was a long moment of silence. They didn't talk, just opting to stare blankly at the blue skies above. They looked so . . . I don't know . . . broken? And judging from their puffy, bloodshot eyes and their red noses, they've been crying a lot.

"You know, I should hate the two of you right now." Cerulean blue and golden hazel orbs snapped towards my direction, but I just shrugged and smiled weakly. Seriously, everything's been so depressing for the past few months that I want nothing else but to help these people. These two really need a pep talk.

"But . . . seeing you like this right now, I can't. It's obvious that you're suffering as well. I'm not even going to call you out on your actions. That's for Beca and Stacie to do." Their eyes instantly tear up at the mention of my best friends' names. Still, I continued.

"The clothes you're wearing right now, they belong to those two, right? Do you know how important those are to them? Chloe, did you know that that hoodie belonged to Beca's mom? That was the hoodie she wore the day before the accident that claimed her life. For Beca, that's a reminder of her mother and she even told us that whenever she wore that, somehow, she felt like her mom was embracing her." I look at the redhead and see her tears fall continuously as she looked at the ground. Her shoulders were shaking as she tried to stifle her sob. I reached into my pocket and pull out my handkerchief which I handed to her. I then turned to Aubrey.

"That shirt belonged to Jacob Conrad and that hoodie belonged to Sylvia Conrad. They liked to wear those when they were still alive, before an accident happened almost seven years ago that claimed their lives. When they passed away, they left a sweet little girl named Stacie with no family except for her best friend and her best friend's dad. It was so hard for her at first and she'd always get nightmares late at night. She was also very sad because the parents that she loved so much were gone. So, to keep the sadness and nightmares away, she'd cling to that shirt and hoodie, inhaling the left-over scent of her father and mother as she tried to remain strong."

I let them cry out all of the pain they were feeling in their chests. I sat there, looking at the calm blue skies, wishing for everything to stop being so painful. I wished that these two broken girls with me right now, and the two other broken girls who were thousands of miles away from us, finally find their happy endings.

Once they were calm enough, I reached for the water bottle inside my bag and handed it to them. I waited a few more minutes before I started talking again.

"I first met Beca and Stacie at New York during our freshman year of high school. They piqued my interest because they were so closed off and guarded. I wanted to know the reason why because I badly wanted to help ease the extreme loneliness that I saw in their eyes. It was hard at first, but I didn't give up. I had a feeling then that those two are really great people, and it turned out that they were. It took time and effort but they eventually let me in.

My heart hurt for them when I found out the truth about their past. They seemed cool and indifferent to other people, but the truth was they were just two girls too hurt and scarred by their past. The real them were kind, compassionate, caring and loyal people. Once you gain their trust, they'll treasure and love you so much. They're great people. They're great friends.

They're afraid of letting people in, terrified even, because they're afraid of getting hurt when they get left behind. I was really surprised that they let you in that quickly, but when they talked to me about you guys, I realized why. They were so in love with you. They were willing to do anything for you. Even after finding out about your secret, they chose to pretend to not know anything because they didn't want to lose you. I just realized how far they've fallen when they decided to leave because they couldn't see you be happy with other people.

I'm not going to lie to you, I'm not even going to sugarcoat the facts. They were really crushed by what the two of you did. They had the right to loathe the two of you but they couldn't. And I think by now you already know why."

"Do . . . do y- you . . . t-think th - they'll f-forgive us?" Chloe asked through her sobs. Both her and Aubrey looked so devastated that my heart went out to them.

"I . . . next year. They will be back next year, or the year after that. Can you wait for them? Are you willing to wait for them? Before this year ends, the two of you will graduate. Think things over. Fix your lives first, fix yourselves. Do you really love them? Be certain about your feelings first. If you are already sure that you really love them, show it to them when they come back. Prove to them that you deserve their forgiveness. Their hearts aren't made of stone."

With that, I finally stood up and I saw a cleared path a few meters behind them. i followed it as I made my way back to campus grounds.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So, again, thanks for the reviews. **

**lucerito-95: it is a good idea, but I want to give them time and space away from each other to heal. I don't know, that's what I think . . . and . . . thanks for the review **

**Pitch Perfect does not belong to me.**

_**Jessica's POV**_

I can't believe it's almost been a year already. The new school year's only a couple of weeks away and I can't help but feel anxious. I can't wait to see if Beca and Stacie are going to return to Barden or if they opted to stay at New York for another year. Hope it's the former. I really miss those two and I'm pretty sure Chloe and Aubrey are going to be so disappointed if they stayed there.

A small smile grazed my lips as I remembered the blonde and the redhead. I recall them wanting to follow Beca and Stacie a few weeks after they learnt of the brunettes' departure but I stopped them. Aside from the fact that the wounds and hurt they caused were still fresh, they still haven't cleared things with Kayla. The best solution at that time was to wait things out, give Beca and Stacie the time and space that the two of them needed and fix things with Kayla and with their lives since they were graduating. They eventually agreed, although reluctantly.

So, they focused on their studies and the Bellas all the while keeping check on the happenings on the lives of our two favorite brunettes through me. They cried a lot when I told them that the set list I helped them with that won them the ICCA's was actually collaborated on by Beca and Stacie. I was so glad when they told me that they were staying at Barden for grad school after their graduation. They were really willing to wait for my best friends. That, and the knowledge that they were really serious about making it up to my best friends made me warm up to them. They are actually good people. They were only brainwashed by a person that they trust so much.

I sure hope that things work out with the four of them. They have suffered so much heart break enough for a life time, they all deserve to be happy.

I was brought out of my musings when someone called my name. I scanned the coffee shop and was surprised to see Kayla walking slowly towards my table. I hate that my heart was still palpitating at the sight of her, but damn, she looks so beautiful with her long, silky brunette curls that hung past her shoulders and the simple, white knee – length dress she was wearing.

"Hi," she greeted shyly as she hesitantly took a seat across from me. It seems that my tongue was caught and my voice abandoned me because I couldn't bring myself to answer her. So, when she asked if we could talk in private, I could only nod my head dumbly as I followed her outside of the coffee shop to a nearby old and deserted park. We took a seat at an old – looking stone bench near a rusty kids' swing.

"I wanted to apologize to you," she said after a while of silence. I wasn't really expecting that so my head turned quickly towards her direction. She smiled sadly and I could see her eyes glistening with held back tears. I didn't know what came over me but I reached my hand out and grasped hers. She looked surprised as well but I just decided to play it coolly as I shrugged my shoulders and avoided meeting her gaze. Then I felt her squeeze my hand a little bit. I decided to let her say everything that she wanted to say and I'll just react when she's done. It's not every day that Kayla Rivera apologized so I gave her a chance.

"I'm sorry Jess, for everything. I want to fix things between us before I leave . . . "

Wait. What? She's leaving?

"You're leaving?" I looked at her unbelievingly and she just nodded her head slightly, her eyes glinting with a certain sadness that managed to reach my heart and pull at it painfully. Why, all of a sudden, can't I breathe?

"My father's dying Jess. He has stage four colon cancer and I'm flying to the Philippines tomorrow night to see him. I want to be at his side as he breathes his last breath and his heart beats its last beat." This time, she didn't hold the tears back and I could feel her body shake beside me as she sobbed quietly. I put an arm around her and held her close as she let out her tears. She started talking again when she was calm enough.

"My mom abandoned my dad and I when I was only nine. At that time, I really didn't know why. All I knew was mom left and was never coming back and that dad was so, so sad. As the years passed by, I learned to resent my mom. I always asked myself if she didn't love me and dad for her to leave us. And worse, my dad became so obsessed with work, because that's his only form of escape, that he didn't have time for me anymore. I was only a kid, I wanted, I needed, my parents. I needed to feel their love.

But I grew up without feeling any love from both of my parents. I only wanted to feel loved and cared for. Chloe and Aubrey were my first and only friends when I was a kid and when I got transferred to New York, I was devastated because it felt like I was all alone again. But then I met you. You were like a big ball of sunshine that brightened my dark and lonely world. And you loved me, so much at that. All my life, all I wanted was to feel loved and you loved me greatly, intensely. Truth be told, as time went by, I've learned to love you as well.

But then, I met Stacie that night at the party which you didn't attend because you were sick. We had so much in common that I thought I fell in love with her. I was blinded by the fact that I met someone who experienced things similar to the things I've experienced, someone who understood how I felt, that I became obsessed with her. I didn't even realize that I was hurting you then.

I am so sorry for my past actions. I would've taken everything back if I could, but I can't. All I can do now is apologize and avoid doing the mistakes that I've done before. I've already fixed things with Chloe and Aubrey. And I have also apologized to Beca and Stacie weeks ago. I went to Manhattan to spend a couple of days with my grandma when I ran into them. I apologized and I really wasn't expecting them to forgive me, but they still did. They said that all's in the past now and that we should all just focus on the present. They're really good people Jessica. I really regret what I've done to them, and to Chloe and Aubrey, and most especially to you. I'm really, really sorry Jessica."

Somehow, her apology made me feel like a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest and I can breathe again properly after so long. I just smiled at her as I hugged her fully, tightly. I kissed her temple as I breathed a soft 'all is forgiven' into her ear. Her body shook as I held her and I could feel my shoulder get wet as she cried again. All this time, I never really took the time to know how this girl felt. I'm really sorry as well. I finally was able to accept the truth that I was still so in love with her.

I didn't even hesitate, as I held her face in my hands after we broke from our embrace, to lean in and finally plant my lips against hers, and it felt like I was whole again.

_**Chloe's POV**_

I wake up to darkness surrounding my room and I reached into my nightstand and grabbed my clock. I was momentarily blinded by the bright red light glowing angrily at me as the clock read 4:00 am. I tried to fall back asleep because it was still too early but I couldn't. I just kept tossing and turning in my bed and it was only making me tired. I sigh as I got up from the bed and walked towards my closet, pulling out my favorite hoodie and putting it on. I quietly went out of the apartment so as to not wake up Aubrey.

I let out a relieved breath as I felt the warm summer air breeze past me as I walked to _**our **_spot. Dawn was breaking by the time that I got there and I couldn't help but get mesmerized at the view. This is the first time that I went to this place at this time of the day and this is the first time that I have ever seen a scene as beautiful as of that I am seeing now. The place was blanketed with a soft orange glow and the water in the lake sparkled like it was filled with gems. The sight literally took my breath away.

I let my gaze wander as I soaked all of it in and that's when I saw her. She was standing there with her hands in her pockets, her beautiful hair flapping gently against the wind, and a small smile on her lips. I stare at her steely blue eyes and I instantly felt myself getting lost in them. I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as my throat constricted and my heart palpitated.

I ran the few feet that separated us and I flung myself at her. I buried my face in her neck as I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of vanilla and something distinctly her wash over my senses. I could feel my body wracking as I sobbed against her neck and held her impossibly tight against me. She was holding me as well and I could feel her hold tightening as she kissed the side of my head. I tried to compose myself, to stop myself from sobbing. And when I was calm enough, I pulled slightly away from her only to crash my lips against hers. I marveled in the feeling of her soft, sweet, warm lips moving gently against mine and how a feeling of warmth spread throughout my body. _I love you so, so much._ I held her close as I kissed her lips and I felt like finally coming home.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hi. Sorry for the late update but I've been quite busy with college stuff for the past couple of days. I still am busy but I want to finish this fic and I'm making sure of that so no worries. But, I wouldn't be able to update quite regularly so I'm sorry. And I think this will be my last author's note for a while so I would like to thank all of you again for supporting this fic. Oh, and to answer a question from last chapter, yes, I am a Filipino. **

**I do not own Pitch Perfect.**

_**Beca's POV**_

_**(A few days earlier)**_

If mine and Stacie's favorite diner back at Barden was Chuck's, I'd say that our favorite here at Manhattan would be Rosie's. It's a small, shabby diner but it has a homey atmosphere and the food is great and the owners, an old couple, are the kindest people I have ever met. Walter "Walt" Greene is a bulky man in his early sixties. His hair is always in military cut but his eyes were warm and kind and he always has a smile ready for his patrons. His wife Dana was a petite woman with salt and pepper hair in her late fifties. Her sea green eyes were always warm and kind and her smiles were welcoming.

"Hey shorty, what are you thinking about?" I look at Walt sitting across from me at the booth. He has a smile on his face as he looked at me, the plate of spaghetti before him still untouched. I swallowed a forkful of spaghetti first before answering him.

"We're leaving in two days Walt. I'm just going to miss you and Dana," I tell him sadly. Beside me, Stacie pouted as she nodded her head. Walt chuckled and with both hands, he ruffled our hair playfully. Stacie and I feign scoffing as we slapped his hands away. Dana laughed as she approached us with slices of her famous apple pie. She put them on the table as she took a seat beside her husband. Except for me and Stacie, there were no other customers in the diner. Walt and Dana told us that they closed the shop to spend time with the two of us because we're leaving in two days.

"We'll miss the two of you as well. But there's no reason to be sad. You're still going to visit us during your breaks right? So we'll still see each other. And if you want to talk to us, we're just a phone call away. Right kiddo?" Stacie nodded her head with a sad smile on her face.

"Are you ready to see them again?" Walt asked after a few beats of silence. I could see Stacie freeze mid-bite beside me. Even I got caught off guard by the question. I closed my eyes as I felt a dull ache in my chest and I could see vibrant blue eyes and fiery red hair behind my eye lids vividly. "I . . . I'm ready to be friends with her again," I could hear myself say. Wait. Am I really?

"But what if, when you come back to Georgia, they're already gone? You told us that they graduated already? And, what if the opposite happens? What if they realized that they loved you as well and they chose to stay and wait for you? What will you do then?"

I honestly don't know. If Chloe left Georgia, then it means she really doesn't love me. It hurts so much thinking about it so I shake that thought away. But what if she stayed? Will it mean that she does love me? Will I give her another chance? Can I give her another chance? What if she hurts me again? Ugh! I hate this. I think Stacie's thinking about this as well because she's being quiet. Walt sighed as Stacie and I remained silent.

"It's pretty obvious that you're still in love with them, but if they left without patching things up with you, I think it's time that you two move on. But if they stayed, I say you give them a chance. Try to fix things with them and who knows? Maybe you two can finally have your happy ending. But, you have to make them work for it okay? They still hurt you. Make them prove themselves to you alright?"

We both nodded our heads as we stood up to give the two of them a group hug. I really love those two. They were like the grandparents that I never met. When we left for Georgia two days later, Walt and Dana were at the airport to see us off.

* * *

_**(Present)**_

I feel like I'm floating in the clouds. I don't care how cliché it sounds because it's the truth. I could feel a current running though my body that's making my senses come alive. I love the feeling of warmth that came over me as we kissed.

I was having a hard time falling asleep so I decided to wander around and my feet took me here. I t felt nostalgic as I step foot at this place again. I was just breathing in the cool morning breeze when I felt another presence. I didn't have to look to know who it was but I still did because I wanted to see her face. She still looks as gorgeous as ever and I can't help the small smile that grazed my lips when I saw her. I was really surprised when she flung herself at me and held me close, but I didn't mind. In fact, I held her tight as well because I really missed the warmth of her embrace and her scent invading my senses.

When she finally kissed me, I felt all the sadness and heart aches melt away. At that moment, all that mattered was the girl in my arms and how right it felt to have her lips against mine. She stayed. She waited for my return. She's kissing me right now so it must mean that she loves me.

_But if they stayed, I say you give them a chance. Try to fix things with them and who knows? Maybe you two can finally have your happy ending. But, you have to make them work for it okay? They still hurt you. Make them prove themselves to you alright?_

I slowly break away from the kiss but I didn't let go of her. Her eyes slowly opened and I finally saw her beautiful blue eyes again. They were shining from her tears that were cascading down her cheeks and I wipe them away.

"Beca . . ."

"Chlo . . ."

"I missed you. So, so much."

"I missed you too Red."

"I – God . . . I'm so sorry for what I did to you. I –"

"Chloe . . ."

"Y – yeah?"

"Listen, what you did last year really hurt me. I really loved you then. I still love you, and I want to give you another chance, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid that you'd hurt me again."

"I won't do it again, hurt you I mean. I love you too Beca. So much."

"Don't tell me. Show me Chloe. Prove to me that it's worth giving you another chance."

She only smiled lovingly at me as she nudged my nose with hers. I couldn't help but smile as well. It felt like a huge weight has been lifted from my chest. I planted a soft, chaste kiss on her lips again before I buried my face on her neck, inhaling her scent. I can't wait to see what she has planned for us.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Stacie's POV**_

I've been back for a week and fortunately, I haven't run into Aubrey yet. I want to see her so badly but I don't know if I can forgive her already and give her a second chance. But I still love her so, so much. But whenever I think about her, I still remember everything from last year so vividly that it still makes my heart ache. I don't fucking know what to do anymore! Ugh!

"Hey! Stacie!" I turn to see Jessica power – walking towards me with a huge smile on her face. I also grinned widely but then I saw the person she was walking with. I literally froze where I stood as my heart hammered inside my chest and butterflies rampaged in my stomach. Damn it, why does she still have this effect on me even after one year?

Her long, flowing locks shone as they framed her beautiful face, making her seem to have a halo about her head. Her hazel eyes are still as piercing as ever but her stern expression was already non – existent, noticeably replaced by a more carefree and confident one. And as she got closer, I took notice of her changes. And damn, she's more beautiful than before. I haven't seen her before this moment for a whole year but she had me falling for her even harder.

"Stacie!"

I turn look where the voice came from and as soon as I turned around, I was tackled to the ground by a petite person with spiky brunette hair that smelled of raspberries. What the hell? What is this person doing here? The shorty above me began to shuffle and I could feel her sit up on my thighs. I open my eyes to see my attacker and I came face to face with a person I thought I'd never see for a long time.

"Laura!"

"Hey there sexy," she greeted with a grin. I couldn't help but grin as well. Beca and I met her last year. She lived with her best friend, Chelsea, at the unit next to ours at Manhattan. The four of us instantly clicked and we have been inseparable for the past year. Beca and I were really bummed when we left Laura and Chelsea at Manhattan a couple of days ago.

"Short stack!" she pouted at the name and I couldn't help but chuckle. She really is a short stack, about Beca's height, maybe a couple centimeters taller. And she's pretty as well. She looks a lot like Ashley Green from Twilight. "Mind getting off of me? The ground isn't really that comfy to lie on," I tell her with a smirk. She snorted as she stood up then helped me get to my feet as well. We started to dust off our clothes.

"Why are you at Georgia?" I ask her.

"Well . . . Chelsea and I missed you and Beca so we decided to move here and transfer to Barden. The two of you have been our family for the past year and it's just hard to live too far from you," she answered with a sad smile.

My heart hurt at that. How could I forget? Laura just lost her parents, her only family, three years ago. She met Chelsea, who just got kicked out of her home after coming out, a year after. So, for two years, they have been used to having only each other to consider as family.

"Aww . . . that's too sweet of you," I tell her, playfully ruffling her hair. She scoffed as she slapped my hand away. I just chuckled at her.

"Wait. Is that THE Aubrey Posen?" she asked wide – eyed as she looked past my shoulder. Damn! I forgot about her and Jessica. I could only nod at Laura, and once I did, a playful smirk crossed her lips. The hell?

"Wanna introduce me to your blonde friends over there?" she asked as she wriggled her eyebrows playfully. I just rolled my eyes at her and turned to look at Jessica and Aubrey who were now only a couple of feet away from us. Jessica looked puzzled and Aubrey looked like someone kicked her puppy.

"Hey Stace," Jessica greeted me. Then she turned to look at Laura who only smiled a little. I sighed as I proceeded with the necessary introductions.

"Uhm, Jessica, Aubrey, this s Laura, a friend of Beca and mine from Manhattan. Laura, these are Jessica, the high school friend Jessica that Becs and I were telling you about, and Aubrey." The three of them exchanged pleasantries and after that, there was an awkward silence among us. It lasted for a few beats before Jessica decided to break the silence.

"So, you met Stacie and Beca at Manhattan? But, uhm, what are you doing here at Georgia? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"My best friend/housemate and I decided to follow Stacie and Beca here. We all grew very close the past year and now they're like family to us. Well, they're the only family we have," Laura answered with a small smile and she looked up at me fondly. I felt a certain warmth inside my chest that made me feel all mushy. I couldn't help the fond smile that graced my lips as I put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in a tight side hug.

Jessica was eyeing me creepily, like in a _you-better-explain-yourself-properly-later-or-else _ kind of way. It literally made me feel shivers run up my spine in terror so I just turned to look at Aubrey. This time, she looked like a kicked puppy that I couldn't help but hurt for her, though I have no idea why she was like that. The moment was interrupted when a phone began blaring Avril Lavigne's Rock N Roll rather loudly. Laura shifted beside me as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.

"Hello?"

. . .

"Oh, Chels, hey. What's up?""

. . .

"Right now? Seriously?"

. . .

"No, I don't need to look for her. I'm with her right now. You wanna speak with her?"

. . .

"Nah, fine. We'll be on our way. Bye."

She hung up and put her phone back in her pocket before turning to look at me again.

"Chelsea said she's with Beca right now and she told me to tell you that we have to meet them at chuck's diner like, right now." As she said that, she turned to look at Jessica and Aubrey apologetically.

"It's fine, you can go. We can talk and catch up with Stacie some other time," Aubrey told us with a small serene smile. What is it with people only smiling slightly today? Anyway, I apologized to the two of them before Laura and I went on our way.

As we were walking towards Chuck's diner, I couldn't help but think about Aubrey's weird behavior earlier. And somehow, the sad and rather broken look I saw in her eyes during our short interaction got me thinking about her again and again. She looked and acted so defeated that I could feel a certain uncomfortable weight on my chest just thinking about that.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I am very sorry for not updating for so long. My life has just been so chaotic these past few weeks and I had to sort things out first before writing the update to this story. I have no plans of abandoning this fic and I am grateful to those who supported this and are continuing to do so. Thank you so much guys. Again, I am very sorry.**

_**Beca's POV**_

I've been searching for a certain redhead for the past few hours now but I can't seem to find her at all. I've been to every spot on campus where she usually hangs out but I haven't seen her in any of those places. I really feel bad about cancelling on our lunch date yesterday in favor of spending some time with my friends from New York. I could tell that she was really excited about that lunch date. She was buzzing with excitement and kept on telling me that she couldn't wait for the said date, and when I told her about my impromptu lunch date with my New York friends and Stacie, I could see her trying so hard to not let her disappointment show. I let out a deep sigh as I got lost in thought, trying to find out the best way to make it up to her. I was brought out of my musings when someone called my name.

"Beca?" I looked up, still a little distracted, to see who it was.

"Hm? What? Oh! Aubrey! Hey."

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what am I doing here?"

"Well, Chloe left our apartment a little early today to go to that lake. I just thought you'd be with her there."

"Oh! Finally! Thanks so much Bree! I gotta go! Bye!" and with that, I sprinted away, hastily making my way towards our spot.

True enough, I found my favorite redhead sitting at the base of the big oak tree near the lake when I got there. She was sitting there quietly, hugging her legs to her chest, her eyes closed as a small smile adorned her full lips. She seems to be enjoying the peace and tranquility that the place offers, just like always. And I have never seen her more beautiful than at this moment. I am honestly scared to move from where I was standing, afraid of ruining such a beautiful and peaceful moment, so I stood there quietly, admiring Chloe's beauty from a distance.

Maybe she felt eyes on her because the next second, Chloe slowly opened her eyes and looked towards me. There was a slight frown on her face but when her gaze landed on me, she suddenly broke out into a smile, beckoning me to come closer towards her. I couldn't help but smile back as I slowly walked towards her, breathing out a soft _hey_ as I took a seat on the ground beside her. I don't know why but her smile seemed to have grown wider.

"Hello to you too," she said with that same grin as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Listen, Chlo, about yesterday . . . I'm really –"

"Becs, don't apologize. I understand okay? You haven't seen the two of them for a while so it's only natural that you miss them and want to spend some time with them to catch up on things."

"But Chlo, you seemed really excited about that lunch date of ours and –"

"Stop worrying Becs. I already told you that it's fine. Honestly, I was a little disappointed but you seemed so happy and excited about spending time with your friends that it didn't really matter that much to me. What's important is that you were happy, because that's what's important to me. Your happiness is my first priority. As long as you're happy, my own happiness doesn't really matter to me."

I sat there frozen and very dumbfounded, feeling my admiration for the girl in front of me grow even more intense as she let me witness her selflessness. I could feel my heart beat erratically as I fell in love all over again.

"Beca, are you okay? Did I say something wrong? If I did then –"

I didn't let her finish what she was saying as I crashed my lips against hers, pouring every bit of emotion I was feeling at that moment in that one kiss. I wanted her to know how much I love her, how important she is to me and how happy she made me by just saying what she said to me about her prioritizing my happiness. She doesn't need to do anything more. She just proved to me that it is worth taking a chance on her and giving her another chance. We were both gasping for air when we pulled away from the kiss.

"That was . . ."

"Amazing? Mind – blowing? Earth – shattering?" I finish for her.

"Hmm . . . maybe . . ." she added playfully and we both laughed at that but after a few seconds, she immediately turned serious.

"Chlo? What's the problem?"

"I love you Beca. So, so much. I don't know what I'd do without you and I could never ever forgive myself for what I've done to you. I don't think I still deserve you after that but I want to be selfish for once and hope that you could still love me back equally. I know I don't have the right and that I am being extremely selfish, but I love you so much and that's the truth."

Tears started to flow down her cheeks and I reached forward to wipe them away with my fingers and I was surprised when I felt my own tears fall from my eyes. My chest feels like it's about to burst with happiness and I honestly haven't felt more contented in my whole life. I leaned up a little to press a soft kiss on her forehead before leaning my head against her shoulders.

"I love you too Chlo, so much that it hurts sometimes. I've been a goner since the beginning and I honestly think that I could never fall in love with anybody that's not you. When I told you that you need to prove yourself to me, that was just for me to see how much I meant to you. I was ready to give you another chance anyway, because I couldn't live without you in my life. I don't care if that makes me a masochist. But I'm glad that you did your best to prove that you really love me."

"Did I pass?"

"Mmhmm. With flying colors."

"I love you Beca."

"I love you too, Chloe."


End file.
